2015, Informe GSMA, Connected Women

C o n n e c t e d Wo m e n I 2 0 1 5
Bridging the gender gap:

Mobile access and usage in lowand middle-income countries
Table of Contents
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators
worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more
than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem,
including handset and device makers, software
companies, equipment providers and Internet companies,
as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The
GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as
Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai
and the Mobile 360 Series conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate
website: www.gsma.com
Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA
GSMA Connected Women works with partners to

deliver socio-economic benefits to women and the
broader mobile ecosystem through greater inclusion of
women across the industry. The programme is focused
on increasing womens access to and use of mobile
phones and life-enhancing mobile services in developing
markets, as well as closing the digital skills gender gap,
attracting and retaining female talent, and encouraging
female leadership in technology on a global basis.
For more information, please visit:
www.gsma.com/connectedwomen
Follow GSMA Connected Women on Twitter:
@GSMAm4d #ConnectedWomen
The GSMA Connected Women Global Development

Alliance is a programme in partnership with:
Altai Consulting provides strategy consulting &

research services to private companies, governments
and public institutions in developing countries.
Our teams currently operate in more than 45 countries
in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
For more information, please visit the Altai Consulting
website: www.altaiconsulting.com
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Executive summary
Introduction
10
Methodology, definitions, and limitations
16
Mobile phone access and usage
20
Womens phone ownership in low- and middle-income countries
22
Bridging the mobile phone ownership gender gap
24
The new gender gap: Mobile phone usage
26
Revenue opportunity of closing the gender gap

in mobile phone ownership and use
32
Borrowers and non-users
34
Barriers to mobile ownership and usage
38
Overview of barriers
40
Barriers from the customer perspective
41
Systemic barriers
62
Recommendations
64
Appendix 1: Country profiles
70
Appendix 2: Data tables
118
Appendix 3: Bibliography
126
Foreword
The ubiquity and affordability of mobile presents us
with an unparalleled opportunity to improve social
and economic development and positively impact
lives. However, to realise these benefits, women must
not be left behind in the mobile revolution. This report,
Bridging the gender gap: Mobile access and usage
in low- and middle-income countries, provides new
data, clear direction and actionable opportunities
for stakeholders across the mobile ecosystem to
accelerate the uptake of mobile technology by
women in low- and middle-income countries.
This research comes at a critical time. Despite efforts,
there have been few global resources and data
available to quantify the gender gap in access and
usage of mobile technology. This report reinforces
the GSMAs commitment to delivering robust data
and insights to help inform the mobile industry, policy
makers, and other stakeholders with the objective of
evolving a mobile ecosystem that ensures women
are not left out.
I would like to thank all the partners who have worked

with the GSMAs Connected Women programme todate to improve access and services for women, as
well as the thousands of people who contributed to
this body of research. I hope the critical insights and
recommendations found in this report will help our
partners, members, and the wider industry continue
to bridge the gender divide.
Sincerely,
B ri dg ing t he Ge nde r G ap
Anne Bouverot
Director General, GSMA
CONNECTED WOMEN I 2015
Mobile technology is a powerful tool. It transcends

geographies, cultures and socio-economic status
and offers wide-ranging benefits to women and
society. Mobile phones help women feel safer and
more connected, save time and enable access to key
services such mobile money and health information.
They offer a cost-effective channel for delivering

services and have the potential to increase access to
education and employment opportunities, an area
where women are still disadvantaged in many parts
of the world. Increasing womens access to and use
of mobile phones is also a significant commercial
opportunity for our mobile industry. As such, ensuring
that women have access to mobile technology and the
life-enhancing services and opportunities that mobile
can bring, makes good business sense.
This report was authored by Shireen Santosham and

Dominica Lindsey from the GSMA Connected Women
team, in conjunction with Altai Consulting, which
led the research and analysis. Altai Consultings core
team consisted of Emmanuel de Dinechin, Geraldine
Baudienville, Alice Bodreau, Alize Boutard, and
Marc de Courcel.
The GSMA and Altai Consulting would like to
particularly thank:
All mobile operators who have kindly shared their
anonymised user data for the purpose of enriching
the findings of this report.
Angela Baker and Erin Gavin Qualcomm

Anita Hesti and Sanny Gaddafi 8villages
Ann Mei Chang Mercy Corps
Annette Fergusson Vodafone Group Services
Anthony Thuku Total Kenya
Ariane Utomo Australian National University
Ashok Sharma and Nidhi Chawla Aircel (Maxis)
Ashvini Kumar Uninor (Telenor)
Bibiche R. Kankolongo Young Womens
Christian Association of Democratic Republic
of Congo (YWCA-DRC)
Camilla Nestor Grameen Foundation
Dr Dorothea Kleine and Dr David Souter for

the individual pieces of advice they gave on
the survey tools, methodology, and other
aspects of the project.
Carlos Hirsch Iusacell
Other individuals from the GSMA Connected

Women team who have kindly contributed to
this study: Alexandra Tyers, Claire Sibthorpe,
Elisa Minischetti, Emily Murphy, Georgia Barrie,
Catherine Highet, Madeleine Karlsson, Mahesh
Nayak, Max Cuvellier, Priya Bhandari, and Salima
Fazal Karim.
Cesar Augusto Pinzon Medina, Ilsa Carlota

Almeciga Romero, Rosa Patricia Chaparro
Nino and Martha Barriga Secretaria distrital
de la mujer
Other individuals at GSMA who have been

generous with their advice and support.
Carol Kakooza and Ashok Sharma

Agri-Fin Mobile program, Mercy Corps
Carolina Valencia Ocampo Movistar/Telefonica
Chandni Ohri Grameen Foundation India

Cheikh Boureima Abdou Daouda Conseiller
du Premier Ministre pour les Affaires Religieuses
Christophe Soulet and Mandeep Birdi Airtel
Claire Mattei and Maryam Ali Al hajri Ooredoo
This research and report would also not have been

possible without the support of the GSMA Connected
Women partners, including the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID), the Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT),
and the GSMA.
Dan Radcliffe Gates Foundation
Fredy Gamez Inalambria
Nies Purwati Qualcomm Indonesia
Gabriel MBuyi Vodacom DR Congo
Nour Khrais Maysalward
Gabriela Lpez Villeda Nextel
Olufunmilayo Biola Ofulue
Gayatri Murthy Intermedia
Omar Moeen Malik, Malik Faisal Qayyum,

and Atifa Ashgar Telenor
Gaye Aladag and Zeynep Emre Manco AVEA

Grace Githaiga Kenya ICT Action
Network (KICTANet)
Helani Galpaya LIRNEasia
Henri Ilunga ARTCP
Pat Wu and Ran Makavy Facebook

Patrick Mengo and Hugues Lubuma
Tigo, DR Congo
Philippa Biggs and Aurora Rubio ITU
Henriette Kolb IFC
Priya Jaisinghani, Christopher Burns

and Casey Dlott USAID
Ibba Rasul-Bernardo and Cris del Rosario

Sari Software
Randa Awwad The Market Research

Organization (MRO)
Ibrahim Niandou CARE Niger
Rassidatou Gakoye Tomo Sahelcom (Sonitel)
Isabel Cristina Jacomilla Sierra

Universidad de las Andes
Renee Wittemyer Intel
Isabelle Herbert-Collet and

Florence Chioetto Orange
Rushika Shekhar Dimagi
Roxana Barrantes DIRSI
Jenny C. Aker Tufts University
Samia Melhem World Bank
Jessie Landerman Harvard Kennedy School

of Government
Sanda Ojiambo Safaricom
Jing Jun Comprehensive AIDS Research

Centre Tsinghua University
Sarah Chamberlain BBC Media Action
Joan Kaufman, Cindy Qiao, and Eyra Xiong

Columbia Global Centers (East Asia)
Sarah Bellemare OXFAM

Sehnaz Tugasaygi, Gizem Kececi,
Sevil Wittmann, and Ceyla Arsel Vodafone Turkey
Sergino Nlenda RawBank
John Xu Global Panorama
Sevi Simavi Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
Jonathan Donner Caribou Digital
Shereen Allam Awtad (Associate for Womens

Total Advancement and Development)
Josep William Widjaja Andtechnology, mobi

Juan Jos Villegas 360 Digital
Julia Broussard and Guo Ruixiang
UN Women China
Sonia Jorge, Hania Farhan, and Emilie Yam

Alliance for Affordable Internet
Souleymane Boukari Nitiema Mediatel
Sumana Hussain DFID
Lina Gomez Tigo Colombia
Susan Jolly Ford Foundation
Linda Raftree Kurante
Susie Lonie Independent consultant
Mahmoud Zaghalil and Lina Barakat Zain Jordan
Syafilla Yordania and Wawan Yulianto Muslim Aid
Malick Dary Orange RD Congo
Tatang Taufik and Andrari Grahitandaru BPPT
Mamar Gado
Taufik and Levina Yulianti MarkPlus Insight
Dr Abeer Shakweer Ministry of Communication

and Information Technology on Social Affairs
Manal Sweidan Jordan Department of Statistics
Teni Stuffman VAS2Nets
Maria Fernanda Ardila Lopez MinTic
Dr Funmi Bammeke University of Lagos
Maria Margarita Rodriguez Reyes Telefnica
The Senior Coordinators and Grassroots

Leaders of SEWA
Adela Giral, Barbara Hurtado Ponce de Leon,

Claudia Manzo, and Maria Ester Jaimes Microsoft
Dr Holly Ritchie, PhD
Mary Ellen Iskenderian Womens World Banking
Thrse Kabale Omari Fondation Femme Plus
Dr Margaret Nyambura University of Nairobi

Dr Mildred Lodiaga Kenyatta University Gender and Development Studies Department
Melissa Stutsel and Sian Phillips Australia

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Tim Smyth Flametree
Adil El Youssefi and Charles Wanjohi Airtel Kenya
Melissa Torre Publicis
Wang Hongmei China Mobile
Morgan Bonnard and Emilie Arrouf Equancy
Wanjiku Nyaga
Mr. Clement Ononugbo

Growing Businesses Foundation
Xi Chen and Xiaozhe Wang Voicegame
Mr. Kesiema Ogbemi
Zeynep Ozler and Elif Yildirim Turkcell
Adama Moussa and Jules Mulimbi

UN Women DRC
Adrian Prasanto Indosat
Dalia Alloub Strategies Adverstising Agency
Nebila Abdulmelik and Yvette Kathurima

FEMNET (African Womens Development
and Communication Network)
Khurram Dar Ibex
The GSMA Connected Women team and Altai

Consulting would also like to thank other individuals
who have generously shared their insights and
knowledge to inform this report, including:
Claudine Muyala Tayaye Espace Femme
Franois Kouassi, Ibrama Sabou Manga,

and Mounirou Issifou Kassimou Moov
Aghali Abdou, Alhassane Soumana Ali, Alkerou

Hassane Moussa, Karim Ibrahim Mamadou,
Mahamadou Halilou Badj, and Al Hassan Agack
Orange Niger
Akash Ganju MAMA
Alice Munyua dot Africa
Aly Rafea Bey2ollak
Amadou Saley Ibrahim and Hainikoye
Hamsatou Diallo Autorit de Rgulation
des Tlcommunications et de la Poste
Andi Ikhwan Mercy Corps Indonesia
Andrea Espinoza Lechuga Telcel
Dewi Mulyati Unilever Foundation

Dieudonn Kalindye Facult de droit,
Universit de Kinshasa
Dr Alison Gillwald Research ICT Africa
Dr Idongesit Eshiet Department of Sociology,
University of Lagos
Dr Mrs Omowunmi Hassan High Tech Centre

for Nigerian Women and Youths
Dr Salma Nims Jordanian National
Commission for Women
Dr Sawsan Majali, Rania Al Abbadi, and Ali
Al Metleq Higher Population Council
Elizabeth Kellison Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation
Emad Karim UN Women Egypt
Fabiola Faida Mwangilwa
Bureau de Consultation du Genre,
Participation Citoyenne et Dveloppement
Mrs. Iyabo Osifeso National Council

of Womens Societies (NCWS)
Muchiri Nyaggah Open Institute
Muhammad Syukri The SMERU institute
Nancy Hafkin Independent consultant
Nariman Moustafa Ashoka Innovators
for the Public
Viona Soesanto XL (Axiata)
Yacoubou Bouzou Skyterre Niger
The findings, interpretations, and conclusions

expressed in this paper are those of the GSMA
Connected Women team and Altai Consulting,
and do not necessarily represent the views of
the experts, or the organisations they represent,
interviewed for this research.
Acknowledgements
Faten Bader and Yousef Weshah Orange Jordan
Executive summary
It has been five years since the report, Women and
Mobile: A Global Opportunity,1 highlighted the
disparity in mobile phone ownership between men and
women in low- and middle-income countries and drew
increased attention to the issue of womens access to
mobile phones. Since then, access to mobile phones
has increased substantially, including for women.
Mobile phone penetration rates are accelerating rapidly
in the developing world, and new, more affordable
handsets are increasingly available. A substantial
body of knowledge about access and usage of
mobile phones has also improved understanding of
how women interact with this life-enhancing mobile
technology. Despite the progress that has been made
over the last five years, there are still challenges to
be overcome in ensuring women are included in an
increasingly connected and internet-enabled world.
Mobile phones are important tools for enhancing the
lives of women in low- and middle-income countries.
Mobile phones help women feel safer and more
connected, save time and money, and access lifeenhancing services such as mobile money, or potential
education and employment opportunities.
This report aims to build on the findings of the
original study and the work of others in the last five
years, highlight the progress that has been made,
and identify new challenges and opportunities. The
report examines how many women in low- and middleincome countries own mobile phones,2 how intensively
they use them, and the barriers to mobile phone
adoption and use compared to men.
Taken together, these findings indicate the gender

gap in mobile ownership and usage are driven by a
complex set of socio-economic and cultural barriers
negatively affecting women. Without targeted
intervention from the mobile industry, policy-makers,
and other stakeholders, the gender gap in ownership
and usage is unlikely to close naturally on its own.
Top 10 findings of this report include:
Over 1.7 billion females in low- and middleincome countries do not own mobile phones.
Women on average are 14% less likely to own
a mobile phone than men, which translates into
200 million fewer women than men owning
mobile phones.3
Women in South Asia are 38% less likely to
own a phone than men, highlighting that the
gender gap in mobile phone ownership is wider
in certain parts of the world.
Even when women own mobile phones, there
is a significant gender gap in mobile phone
usage, which prevents them from reaping
the full benefits of mobile phone ownership.
Women report using phones less frequently
and intensively than men, especially for more
sophisticated services such as mobile internet. In
most countries, fewer women than men who own
phones report using messaging and data services
beyond voice.
This report is aimed at the wider mobile ecosystem,

including industry (MNOs, handset manufacturers, and
content and application developers), policy-makers,
donors, academics, and the international development
community. The report provides actionable insights
and recommendations for these groups to overcome
the key barriers currently keeping women from
accessing and using mobile technology.
Primary field research was conducted in 114 countries
and included surveys with 11,000 women and men
(both mobile phone owners and non-owners), nearly
80 focus group discussions, and interviews with over
120 experts. The findings from this research combined

with secondary sources have been used to estimate
the gender gap in mobile phone ownership in low- and
middle-income countries, and to identify trends and
recommendations that will help stakeholders ensure
women have access to mobile technology and benefit
from using it. As this report will explore, when women
own and use mobile phones, there are significant
benefits not only for women themselves, but for their
communities and the broader economy as well.
Immediately closing the gender gap in ownership
would help an estimated 200 million women gain
access to mobile phones today. Ensuring these
women own phones, and ensuring all women who
own phones in low- and middle-income countries
increase their usage of phones, could unlock an
estimated $170 billion5 market opportunity for the
mobile industry in the next five years and deliver
substantial socio-economic benefits.
Cost remains the greatest barrier overall to

owning and using a mobile phone, particularly
for women, who often have less financial
independence than men.
Security and harassment emerged as one of the
top five barriers to mobile phone ownership and
usage, and is a key concern for women.
Women also cite service delivery issues
(network quality and coverage and agent
or operator trust) and technical literacy and
confidence as key barriers to mobile phone
ownership and use.
Social norms influence womens access to and
use of mobile technology, and often contribute
to women experiencing barriers to mobile phone
ownership and use more acutely than men.
Systemic barriers, including lack of genderdisaggregated data at all levels (e.g., mobile
subscribers, national statistics) and unconscious
biases within organisations, have kept the focus
off women and sustained the gender gap in
ownership and usage.
1. GSMA, Cherie Blair Foundation, and Vital Wave Consulting, 2010, Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity,
http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/GSMA_Women_and_Mobile-A_Global_Opportunity.pdf
2. The number of people who own a SIM but not a handset in this study is minimal. So, for the purpose of this report, mobile phone
ownership and SIM ownership are used interchangeably.
3. Based on current population and unique subscriber penetration.
4. These countries are Colombia, Mexico, Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, India,
China, and Indonesia. Findings for Nigeria are not included in this report even though primary research was conducted there
(see Methodology section).
5. Assuming current population growth rates. See Methodology Annex on Connected Women website for more detail.
Women understand the inherent value of

mobile phones and a lack of perceived value
is no longer a top barrier to mobile phone
ownership, indicating a positive shift in attitudes
in the last five years.
OVER
14%
LESS
1.7 billion
females dont own mobile phones
LIKELY
Women are on average 14% less likely

to own a mobile phone than men,
in low- and middle-income countries
200 MILLION
which translates into

fewer women than men owning mobile phones
Security and harassment

is a key concern and a
top barrier to mobile phone
ownership and usage for women
Cost remains the

greatest barrier
to owning and using a mobile

phone for women, who
typically have less financial
independence than men
Service delivery issues

(network quality and
coverage and agent or
operator trust) and
technical literacy
and confidence
are also key barriers for women
Top 10
findings
WOMEN IN SOUTH ASIA are

LESS
LIKELY
38%
to own a mobile phone

Women use phones less frequently
and intensively than men, especially
mobile internet
highlighting that the gender gap in mobile

phone ownership is even wider in certain
parts of the world
Social norms can

discourage womens
access to and use of
mobile technology
10
LIFE
OK
Lack of genderdisaggregated data and

lack of focus on women
are systemic barriers that
negatively impact access to and

use of mobile phones by women
Women see value in

mobile phones as a
life-enhancing tool
THE OPPORTUNITY
Ensuring women have access to and can use mobile
phones helps women feel safer, more connected,
save time and money, and can increase education
and employment opportunities.
Ensuring women own phones, and ensuring all women
who own phones in low- and middle-income countries
increase their usage of phones, could unlock an
estimated $170 billion market opportunity for the
mobile industry in the next five years.
Introduction
Today, over 3 billion people6 in low- and middleincome countries do not own mobile phones, and
most of them1.7 billionare estimated to be female.7
Women own and use mobile phones8 at lower rates
than men due to barriers such as cost, network quality
and coverage, security and harassment, agent and
operator trust, and technical literacy and confidence.
However, women in our survey cited substantial
benefits to mobile phone ownership, regardless of
whether they currently owned a phone or not. In
this section, we examine both the personal and
broader social benefits of women owning and
using mobile phones.
Mobile phones empower women

Of the thousands of women interviewed in this report
across 11 countries, including both mobile phone
owners and non-owners:
at least 89% in every country said mobile phones
help them (or would help them) stay in touch with
friends and family;
at least 74% in every country said it saves time (or
would save them time);
at least 68% in every country reported that
they feel safer (or would feel safer) with a
mobile phone;
at least 58% in every country said they felt
more (or would feel more) autonomous and
independent; and
at least 60% of women in 10 out of 11 countries
said mobile phone ownership saves (or would
save) them money,9 and at least 60% of women
in every country claimed that a mobile phone
helps (or would help) make running errands
either more convenient or less expensive.
Working women10 and students in particular value

mobile phones and declare higher levels of phone
ownership than non-working women. In all countries,
at least 64% of working women say they have
(or would have) greater access to business and
employment opportunities because of mobile, which is
consistently higher than non-working women. In most
countries, working women more often declare that
mobile phones help (or would help) them save money
or better manage their money relative to non-working
women. Similarly, female students report that mobile
phones give them (or would give them) easy access
to mobile internet and better access to educational
opportunities at higher rates than both working and
non-working women in all countries.
These findings, reinforced by a number of other
studies about women and mobile, show that women
around the world value mobile phones as a tool
that enhances their lives, making them feel more
autonomous and connected, able to access new
opportunities, and save time and money.
Expanding access and use of

mobile phones to more women
will contribute to economic
growth and productivity
The mobile industry is a pillar of the global economy.
Research shows that the industry both directly and
indirectly contributed to 3.6% of the global GDP in
2013over US$ 2.4 trillion.11 Reaching more women
will only increase this contribution. Entrepreneurs
and developers will also have more opportunities
to develop new mobile products and services, and
expand existing ones, that meet the needs of
women in the market and help to foster the wider
digital ecosystem.
6. Estimated number of unconnected people in low- and middle-income countries is based on GSMA Intelligence unique subscriber data
for the total population and analysis conducted by Altai, which provided consulting for this report.
12
7. The estimated number of unconnected females in the market is calculated using adjusted GSMA Intelligence data on unique subscribers
and Altai analysis.
8. The number of people who own a SIM but not a handset in this study is minimal. So, for the purpose of this report, mobile phone
ownership and SIM ownership are used interchangeably.
9. In Turkey, only 38% of women and 47% of men say mobile phone ownership saves (or would save) money, which is substantially lower
than in all other countries for both men and women.
CASE
STUDY
The impact of mobile on women and economies:

M-Pesa improves the lives of women and contributes
significantly to the Kenyan economy
While M-Pesas role in boosting financial inclusion

has been well studied, little has been reported on the
substantial impact Safaricoms award-winning mobile
money solution has had on bridging the gender gap
in mobile ownership. It is estimated that the gap has
decreased to only 7% today.13 Most industry observers
attribute this impressive performance to M-Pesa.
During expert interviews, academics, NGOs, and MNO
executives explained that M-Pesa was a catalyst to
women owning phones. An extremely relevant and
valuable product, M-Pesa allows cheap and efficient
money transfers, often from sons or husbands
working away from home to their mothers or wives.
The cost savings of cutting out middlemen, transport
costs and fees, as well as the safety and security of
M-Pesa, are beneficial enough to justify the costs of
mobile phone ownership.
Women are frequent users of M-Pesa and use it to a
similar extent as men, although they are more often
receivers than senders. In our research, half of the
women in Kenya who owned or borrowed a mobile
phone declared they had received money and toppedup credit through mobile money in the past 7 days.
Women are largely autonomous M-Pesa users, with
more than 80% of women phone owners or borrowers
stating they are able to receive and send money and
top-up credit through mobile money without any help.
10. Working women excludes homemakers, retired and unemployed individuals, and students.
11. GSMA Intelligence, 2014, The Mobile Economy 2014, http://www.gsmamobileeconomy.com/GSMA_ME_Report_2014_R2_WEB.pdf
12. Deloitte Consulting, GSMA, and Cisco, November 2012, What is the Impact of Mobile Telephony on Economic Growth?
http://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/gsma-deloitte-impact-mobile-telephony-economic-growth.pdf
13. This is an indicative decrease based on findings from the original 2010 study, where the gender gap in mobile phone ownership
in Kenya was estimated to be 22%. GSMA Mobile for Development, 2010, Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity,
Using mobile phones to deliver these services is often

more cost-effective than traditional delivery channels
and makes economies more productive. In fact, a 10%
increase in mobile phone ownership is associated
with a 4.2 percentage point increase in total factor
productivity (TFP).12
During focus group discussions, several women

reported that M-Pesa was one of their favourite
uses of the mobile phone:
I use my mobile phone mostly for

communication, to send messages
and for M-Pesa: this is the most
crucial. Urban female user, Kenya
M-Pesa is now part of the social
fabric: it cuts across all cultural
barriers which could exist around
women and phones.this means
it would be ridiculous not to make
mobile phones accessible to women.
Safaricom executive
Fig. 2.1
Mobile users in Kenya who performed the

following operations in the last 7 days
Users (%)
Used mobile money
to receive money
Used mobile money
to send money
Used mobile money
to refill credit
49%
53%
39%
53%
50%
52%
WOMEN MEN
Note: Sample sizes for women N= 785 and for men N= 222
Why does it matter if women

own mobile phones?
Mobile phones are a cost-effective, large-scale

channel for delivering public and private services.
Increasing access to mobile phones allows information,
government services (e.g., government-to-person
payments), and financial services such as mobile
money, to be accessed and delivered more efficiently.
13
In 2010, the seminal study, Women and Mobile: A

Global Opportunity14 by the GSMA, the Cherie Blair
Foundation for Women, and Vital Wave Consulting,
found that women in low- and middle-income
countries were 21% less likely than men to own a
mobile phone, resulting in an estimated $13 billion
immediate missed market opportunity for mobile
operators and on-going annual revenue losses of
$29 billion.15 The high cost of mobile ownership,

cultural barriers, low technical literacy among
women, and a low perception of the value of
mobile were found to be the key barriers hindering
womens access to this life-enhancing technology.
This study was viewed over 18,000 times on the
GSMA website alone and drew worldwide attention
to the digital divide between men and women in
low- and middle-income countries.
From these efforts, the GSMA, in partnership

with the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Australian Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade (formerly AusAid),
and Visa founded the GSMA mWomen programme,
which was launched by Hillary Clinton in 2010. Now
rebranded under the GSMA Connected Women name,
the programme launched 11 innovation grants across
11 countries in Africa and Asia to encourage mobile
network operators to develop products and services
for resource-poor women, in addition to a Pacific
programme to support the mobile ecosystem in the
region. The programme has also published over 25
reports that provide valuable insights on womens
access to and usage of mobile phones, as well as best
practices for industry and international development
practitioners to serve women through mobile. Insights
and lessons are shared at quarterly Working Group
events around the world, which bring together
participants from 72 operators in 47 countries, as
well as leading NGOs, donors, and other stakeholders
who serve over 14 million women globally with mobile
products and services.
In the last five years, in addition to the work of the
GSMA, several other actors have worked tirelessly to
understand and bridge the gaps in womens access
to and use of mobile phones in low- and middleincome countries. In particular, the socio-economic
link to mobile phone and internet access has been
well documented. According to the United Nations
E-Government Survey 2014, The causes of this gender
divide can stem from disparities between men and
women in terms of a lack of education, lack of income,
social attitudes towards female usage of technology,
women having to balance their roles of mother
and worker and lack of internet content relative to
womens needs.16
Other research supports these conclusions as well.

Research ICT Africa found that income and education
have a significant effect on mobile phone ownership in
11 countries in Africa.17 According to Huyer and Hafkin,18
the gender divide is primarily influenced and framed
14
by socio-economic and political factors,

including social and cultural barriers to technology
use, education and skill levels, employment and
income trends, access to media and relevant
content, privacy and security, and location or mode
of access for women.
The work of the ITU, UNCTAD, the UN Broadband
Commission on Gender, and other groups such as the
Alliance for Affordable Internet, have also been critical
in advancing issues around gender and affordable
mobile and internet access in low- and middle-income
countries. Industry players such as Qualcomm, Intel,
and GSMA mobile network operator members such
as Ooredoo, also play an important role in raising
awareness and driving change in the private sector.
This report is designed to refresh and advance the
findings from the 2010 Women and Mobile: A Global
Opportunity study, and contribute more broadly to
the substantial existing body of knowledge on gender
and ICT. In particular, this study highlights the usage
gap between men and women in many countries, and
emphasises the importance of focusing on both usage
and access to fully close the digital divide between
women and men in the next five years. Most studies
to date have focused primarily on access, and this
paper aims to advance the conversation. This report
also highlights the importance of ubiquitous genderdisaggregated statistics on ICT in informing decisions
at the individual company, industry, and national and
international policy levels.
The UNCTAD Partnership on Measuring ICT for
Development recently noted that sources of
gender-disaggregated statistics on mobile phone
ownership, access, and usage in low- and middleincome countries are still limited. In a recent
report,19 the Partnership noted that aggregated data
collection tends to mask gender differences and
called for gender-disaggregated measures of mobile
ownership, access, and usage at the macro-economic
level to inform national policies and set international
policy goals.
15. Ibid.
16. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2014, United Nations E-Government Survey 2014: E-Government for
the Future We Want, http://unpan3.un.org/egovkb/Portals/egovkb/Documents/un/2014-Survey/E-Gov_Complete_Survey-2014.pdf
17. Mariama Deen-Swarray, Alison Gillwald, and Ashleigh Morrell, 2012, Lifting the Veil on ICT Gender Indicators in Africa, Policy Paper 13,
Research ICT Africa & University of Cape Town, http://www.researchictafrica.net/publications/Evidence_for_ICT_Policy_Action/Policy_
Paper_13_-_Lifting_the_veil_on_ICT_gender_indicators_in_Africa.pdf
18. Nancy J. Hafkin and Sophia Huyer, Winter 2007, Women and Gender in ICT Statistics and Indicators for Development Information
Technologies and International Development, 4 (2), 25-41, http://itidjournal.org/itid/article/viewFile/254/124
19. UNCTAD Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development, 2014, Measuring ICT and Gender: An Assessment,
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/webdtlstict2014d1_en.pdf
Background to the study
The causes of this gender divide can stem from disparities between men and
women in terms of a lack of education, lack of income, [and] social attitudes
towards female usage of technology...
United Nations E-Government Survey 2014
15
Methodology,
definitions, and
limitations
Methodology, definitions,
and limitations
Definitions
Unique subscriber: Single individual who has subscribed to a mobile service and may hold multiple mobile
connections (i.e., SIM cards) as calculated by GSMA Intelligence.25
Unique subscriber penetration: Unique subscribers divided by the total population using GSMA Intelligence data.
ARPU: Average revenue per user. This is calculated based on mobile revenue received by a mobile operator(s)
divided by the average number of SIM connections over a certain period of time (often one month).26
This report is based on five main sources of primary

and secondary information, namely:
11,000 closed-ended, face-to-face interviews with
both men and women conducted in 11 countries:20
Niger, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC), Mexico, Indonesia, China, Turkey, Kenya,
Colombia, Egypt, and Jordan.
77 focus group discussions with both men
and women conducted in 11 countries.
123 expert interviews conducted at country
and global levels.
Market research and/or usage data from mobile
network operators in more than 35 countries.
Mobile operators voluntarily shared anonymous,
gender-disaggregated data at their disposal.
Research reports and secondary data sets
on gender and ICT from the mobile industry,
international development organisations,
academics, and other sources.
Countries were chosen in consultation with external
stakeholders across the mobile ecosystem to represent
a high proportion of the population in low- and
middle-income countries, mix of geographic regions,
mix of income levels, and the presence of large mobile
network operators.
Altai Consulting staff personally trained and oversaw

the launch of the fieldwork by local research partners.
A strict monitoring process was implemented: an
independent researcher called back 15% of survey
respondents and tablets were used to track the GPS
coordinates and length of each interview.21 Whenever
18
The quantitative survey sample of 11,000 people was

designed to provide a mix of respondents from rural
and urban areas, as well as reflect each countrys
geographical diversity within the constraints of a limited
sample size. Qualitative work with focus groups included
a mix of men and women with low and high levels of
formal education from both urban and rural areas.
An extrapolation model was developed to estimate
the gender gap in mobile ownership across the 139
low- and middle-income countries. This was based
on recent22 mobile ownership data from 22 countries,
of which 11 were the primary research countries in
this study, 9 were countries where selected mobile
operators had agreed to disclose data, and 2 were
publicly available data sets. Three independent
variables out of 72 were selected based on their ability
to predict the mobile ownership gender gap when
compared to the actual measured ownership gender
gaps in the 22 countries. For more details on the model,
please see the Methodology Annex on the Connected
Women website.
This report focuses on the differences in selfreported data on mobile phone access and usage
between women and men in low- and middle-income
countries. For global market data, GSMA Intelligence
provides a comprehensive range of subscriber,
operational, and financial statistics available at
https://gsmaintelligence.com.
For more information on the methodology, please
download the Methodology Annex found on the
Connected Women website.
20. Nigeria was initially part of the country selection, but results of the quantitative survey and focus group discussions in this country
were eventually discarded as data could not be cross-validated with secondary sources of information. However, findings from expert
interviews in Nigeria are included in this report.
21. In Turkey, laptops were used and in China, paper-based surveys were conducted.
22. Less than two years old.
23. GSMA Mobile for Development, 2010, Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity,
24. GSMA Intelligence is a unit within the GSMA that houses an extensive database of mobile operator statistics, forecasts,
and industry reports.
25. GSMA Intelligence, 2014, Measuring mobile penetration,
https://gsmaintelligence.com/analysis/2014/05/measuring-mobile-penetration/430/
26. GSMA Intelligence, 2014, Evaluating consumer spending: the need for a revised ARPU metric,
https://gsmaintelligence.com/analysis/2014/10/evaluating-consumer-spending-the-need-for-a-revised-arpu-metric/448/
27. Ibid.
ARPS: Average revenue per unique subscriber. This is calculated based on mobile revenue received by a mobile
operator(s) divided by the average number of subscribers over a certain period of time (often one month).27
Gender gap in ownership: Refers to how less likely a female is to own a mobile phone than a male:
GENDER GAP IN
=
OWNERSHIP (%)
MALE PHONE OWNERS

(% OF MALE POPULATION)
FEMALE PHONE OWNERS

(% OF FEMALE POPULATION)
MALE PHONE OWNERS

Low- and middle-income countries: Includes all countries classified as low-income (GNI per capita of US$ 1,045 or
less in 2013), lower-middle income (GNI per capita between US$ 1,046 and US$ 4,125) or upper-middle income
(GNI per capita between US$ 4,126 and US$ 12,745) by the World Bank.
Survey respondents in the 11 countries where primary research was conducted are divided into either mobile users or non-users:
Users
Non-users
Has not used a mobile (in the last 3 months)1
Has used a mobile (in the last 3 months)
Mobile users have been divided into either mobile owners or mobile borrowers, based on whether or not they own a SIM:
Users
Owners
Borrowers
Own a SIM (that they carry with them most of the day)
Does not own a SIM (that they carry with them most of the day)
Vast majority3 also own a handset,4 so owners are referred

to as mobile phone owners in this report
Majority5 of borrowers borrow (or share) a handset and a SIM together,

but some borrow a SIM only
1. Non-users may have used a mobile phone in the past;

2. Owners may own more than one SIM;
3. Over 96% in all countries except in DRC, where 91% of SIM owners also own a handset;
4. That they carry with them most of the day. Owners may own more than one handset;
5. 79100% per country.
Limitations
There are a number of limitations to the use of this
data and analysis, and readers are asked to note that:
Conclusions on the gender gap in mobile
ownership across all 139 low- and middle-income
countries are difficult to extrapolate from only
22 countries.
Direct comparisons should not be made
between estimates of the gender gap in mobile
phone ownership in the GSMA 2010 research23
and this study, as data and analysis have
substantially expanded since then. There are
three major differences:
new World Bank classifications of low- and
middle-income countries;
availability of new data, especially unique

subscriber data estimates that are based on
total population from GSMA Intelligence;24 and
quantitative surveys of both men and women
were both included in this study, whereas the
2010 study only included women.
Care should be taken when making direct
country comparisons in multi-country surveys.
For example, the cultural understanding and
interpretation of questions may differ from
one country to another.
Due to limited resources, certain trade-offs
were necessary. Overall sample sizes were
limited for all countries, which means the
findings for larger countries may be more
representative of the particular areas sampled
than the country as a whole.
Methodology
irregularities were detected, surveys in question were

discarded and additional surveys conducted to correct
these irregularities. Additionally, female interviews were
conducted by female researchers wherever feasible.
19
Mobile phone
access and usage
Image Courtesy of Qualcomm Wireless Reach
In low- and middle-income

countries, womens phone
ownership is increasing, but
many are left behind
Fig. 4.2
Population of unconnected women in low- and middle-income countries

Females who are unconnected by region (% of females, absolute number of females)
Middle East & North Africa

48%
Europe & Central Asia
84m
42%
59m
East Asia & Pacific

54%
Latin America & Caribbean

Despite rapid growth in mobile ownership in lowand middle-income countries, many are still left
behindespecially women. In low- and middle-income
countries, over 3 billion people still do not own mobile
phones, of which approximately 1.7 billion are female.28
Nearly 2/3 of unconnected females live in the South
Asia and East Asia & Pacific regions (Figs. 4.1 and 4.2),
which is not surprising given that these two regions
are the largest in terms of population. A significant
number of unconnected femalesover 300 million
also live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
These high numbers underscore the importance of
continuing to focus on improving mobile phone access
for the unconnected, especially women who are still
left behind. It is also important to note that across all
regions, less-developed countries typically have lower
mobile ownership levels, and many women in these
countries are still unconnected (see the example of
Papua New Guinea in Fig. 4.3).
Given the benefits of mobile phone access and use for
women and society overall, reaching the unconnected
market should be a key priority for both industry and
policy-makers. In fact, since women represent the
majority of the unconnected market, it is essential to
develop policies and coordinated strategies with the
mobile industry.
Fig. 4.1
Mobile phone ownership in low- and

middle-income countries
2.9
3.0
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
64%
Total population
72%
307m
594m
59%
1.7b
UNCONNECTED # FEMALES
Note: Unconnected females include those who do not own a mobile phone, but may borrow one.
Source: GSMA Intelligence and World Bank data, Altai Consulting analysis
1.7
1.6
Unconnected
population
CASE
STUDY
1.2
FEMALES
1.4
Mobile phone
owners
MALES
Source: GSMA Intelligence and World Bank data,

Altai Consulting analysis
Papua New Guinea: The challenge of reaching

unconnected, base-of-the-pyramid women
in the Pacific
The East Asia and Pacific region has the second highest number of unconnected females across low- and middleincome regions. For example, Papua New Guinea is home to 7.1 million people, nearly 70% of whom have no
access to mobile phones. Women at the base of the pyramid are even worse off: with only 16% reporting that
they own a mobile phone. Half of women at the base of the pyramid who do not own a mobile phone reported
being interested in purchasing one, and 96% of them say the reason they do not own a phone is because they
cannot afford it. These unconnected populations offer long-term opportunities for investment for mobile network
operators and other mobile industry players.
Not only do women in this market want to own mobile phones, they would also reap significant benefits from
ownership. However, reaching them requires focused policy intervention and coordination with the mobile
industry to increase coverage, lower costs, and improve the economic status of women in the region.
Fig. 4.3
35%
More than
50%
of female BoP non-subscribers
are interested in purchasing a handset
28. The estimated percentage of non-owners is based on GSMA Intelligence unique subscriber data for the total population
and Altai analysis.
96%
of women at the
BoP without a
mobile say they
could not afford it
of BoP women surveyed

were not comfortable
with making a call and
over half (51%)
could not send an SMS
Source: GSMA Connected Women, 2014, Striving and surviving in Papua New Guinea: Exploring the lives of women at the base
of the pyramid, http://www.gsma.com/connectedwomen/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/mWomen_PNG_v3.pdf
Overall
149m
Population (billions)
Note: There are 80 million fewer females than males in

low- and middle-income countries; unconnected
population includes individuals who do not own, but
may borrow phones.
22
49%
531m
23
Creating an equitable mobile

ecosystem: Bridging the mobile
ownership gender gap
Fig. 4.5
Gender gap in mobile phone ownership in low- and middle-income countries

Gender gap in ownership by region (%, absolute number of females)
Middle East & North Africa

8%
Europe & Central Asia
8m
4%
4m
East Asia & Pacific

Sceptics might argue that increasing mobile ownership
among unconnected populations is a tall orderthe
cost of doing so is prohibitive and the limited expected
revenues of reaching largely low-income and lowdensity rural areas insurmountable. What if, as a first
step, we could bridge the gender gap in mobile phone
ownership so that the same percentage of women
owned mobile phones as men?
The gender gap in mobile ownership, for the purpose
of this report, is defined as:
GENDER
GAP IN
=
OWNERSHIP (%)
MALE PHONE
FEMALE PHONE
OWNERS (% OF
OWNERS (% OF
MALE POPULATION)
FEMALE POPULATION)
MALE PHONE OWNERS
Our analysis shows the gender gap in mobile phone

ownership in low- and middle-income countries
currently stands at an estimated 14% (Fig. 4.4), but this
average masks a greater inequality between male and
female phone ownership in many parts of the world.
In particular, the findings of this study indicate that
the South Asian region has a particularly high gender

gap in mobile ownership: 38% (Figs. 4.5 and 4.6).
Though other regions show lower overall gender gaps
in ownership, it is important to note there are likely
countries within these regions with high gender gaps
in mobile ownership despite an overall positive regional
score. These gaps are likely to be found in countries
with high rates of poverty and low mobile ownership
rates. For example, even though this model estimates
that Sub-Saharan Africa has a 13% gender gap in
mobile phone ownership overall, the primary research
we conducted in Niger showed a 45% gender gap in
mobile phone ownership. Therefore, readers should
be careful not to assume that the regional average is
indicative of every country within that region.
Another key observation from the in-country research
we conducted in 11 countries is that wealthier countries
(i.e., higher per capita GDP) generally have smaller
gender gaps in mobile phone ownership. These
countries include China, Turkey, Mexico, and Colombia.
This finding is in line with the findings of other studies
that show socio-economic factors play a role in mobile
phone ownership.
3%
Latin America & Caribbean

5%
14m
Overall
9m
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
13%
38%
27m
14%
140m
202m
GENDER GAP # FEMALES

Fig. 4.6
Distribution of female mobile phone owners across low- and middle-income countries
Female population (millions)
454
516
281
141
55
75
Fig. 4.4
The gender gap in mobile phone ownership in low- and middle-income countries
Mobile phone ownership
Total
population
(in billions)
Unconnected
population
3.0
2.9
The gender gap in mobile phone ownership
Definition
9
14
MALE PHONE
FEMALE PHONE
OWNERS (% OF
OWNERS (% OF
MALE POPULATION)
FEMALE POPULATION)
52%
MALE PHONE OWNERS

59%
27
GENDER
GAP IN
OWNERSHIP (%)
140
Calculation
24
Mobile phone
owners
48%
48%
41%
South Asia
East Asia & Pacific
FEMALES
Note: Gender gap has been estimated based on Q3 2014 field research, but applied to unique subscriber penetration in the
country and population figures for Q4 2014.
Source: GSMAi and World Bank data, Altai Consulting analysis.
173
153
80
91
Sub-Saharan Africa
Latin America
& Caribbean
Europe &
Central
Asia
Middle
East &
North
Africa
14%
Gender Gap in Ownership = ~ 200 million females

MALES
458
FEMALE MOBILE PHONE OWNERS
FEMALES NEEDED TO FILL THE OWNERSHIP GAP
UNCONNECTED FEMALES
228
48% 41%
25
There are also two interesting exceptions to the

correlation between wealth and mobile phone
ownership in this sample: Kenya and Egypt
both exhibit very small gender gaps in mobile
ownership relative to their income levels (7% and 2%
respectively).30 The introduction of M-Pesa, discussed
earlier in this report, likely contributed to increasing
mobile phone ownership for women in Kenya. In
Egypt, mobile phone ownership is high for both men
and women, likely due to a highly competitive mobile
market that keeps prices low. However, more research
should be conducted to fully understand what drives
ownership and usage for women in these countries.
In contrast, Jordan, which is in the mid-range of

income relative to other countries in the sample (and
wealthier than Kenya), exhibits a wide gender gap in
mobile phone ownership: 21%. This is likely due to the
substantial barriers women face in this country relative
to their male counterparts, which are explored in more
detail later in this report.
These exceptions highlight two important points:
1) countries/markets can close the gender gap
in mobile phone ownership more quickly by
providing relevant products that customers value,
focusing on affordability, and fostering healthy
and enabling environments; and 2) the gender gap
in mobile phone ownership does not always close
automatically, as income in a country can increase
even as women face substantial barriers, as in the
case of Jordan.
Therefore, ensuring women own phones on par with
men will require deliberate, active efforts by industry
and policy-makers, especially in situations where
women face particularly high barriers for cultural or
socio-economic reasons (e.g., rural, poor).
Womens usage patterns often differ

from men, even with voice
Women report using mobile services differently than
men because their daily patterns and preferences also
differ. For example, since women are often in charge of
daily household activities, such as cooking and caring
for children, their free periods may be at different
times of the day, such as during the middle of the day
rather than mornings or evenings. Whereas men may
make more calls during their free hours in the morning
or evening, womens calling patterns often reflect a
different schedule. In some markets, mobile operators
notice these differences when they take time to
identify female customers and analyse usage patterns.
One example is a leading mobile network operator in
South Asia, whose findings appear in Fig 4.7. Similar
call patterns were revealed through expert interviews
and focus group discussions in Jordan as well.
These differences in usage patterns between men
and women are important because they show that
a one-size-fits-all approach to mobile services can
discourage women from using them. In some cases,
The new gender gap:

Mobile phone usage
CASE
STUDY
The first study on the gender gap in mobile phone

ownership, Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity,
was conducted in 2010 and focused primarily on
mobile phone access and ownership since the
technology was still new in many markets. Five years
on, with more women connected, understanding
the differences in how men and women use mobile
phones is increasingly important.
26
Mobile phone ownership is a gateway to a world of

mobile services that can substantially improve the
lives of the unconnected. However, ownership is only
the first step in taking advantage of mobile services.
Once women own phones, they need to use a range of
features and services to reap the full benefits of phone
ownership. Mobile phones give individuals access
to multiple forms of communication, such as voice,
text, mobile internet and entertainment, the ability to
access information such as news and media, as well
as life-enhancing, value-added services and mobile
money. Higher-end feature phones and smart phones
29. Altai Consulting analysis.

30. Altai Consulting analysis.
can also allow individuals to have their voices heard

through social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
For women in low- and middle-income countries, these
services are potentially valuable tools for helping them
connect with friends and family, manage their time
better, and have access to more opportunities.
However, even when women own mobile phones, they
often report using mobile services less frequently
or less intensively than men. Closing the usage gap
between women and men is important to advancing
the digital inclusion agenda and ensuring the voices of
women and girls are represented in the digital world.
In this study, mobile phone owners were asked how
they used their mobile phone, including voice, SMS,
mobile internet (e.g., social media), and other valueadded services (e.g., mobile money, entertainment).
The following findings highlight substantial differences
in how men and women report using mobile services
and reveal an opportunity to increase usage by women
in low- and middle-income countries.
women may be more price sensitive than men, but

understanding their usage patterns could help mobile
network operators design tailored tariff plans for
women that meet their needs. For example, the need
for fewer, but longer calls. Asiacell implemented one
such plan in Iraq.
Asiacells Almas line is designed to suit

womens mobile habits, allowing users to
receive a 50% discount after the third minute
of each on-net call and during the preferred
time slot of their choice (8:0011:00 am;
2:005:00 pm or 10:00 pm1:00 am).
These examples highlight the importance of genderdisaggregated data for mobile service providers to
identify opportunities to provide value to female
customers and secure a competitive advantage. It is
also worthwhile to note that these affordable pricing
plans for women do not necessarily cannibalise
higher priced tariff plans for men. In this case, by only
discounting after the third minute, most calls made by
men were still made at the undiscounted rate.
Call Detail Record (CDR) analytics conducted by a

leading mobile operator in a South Asian country
illustrate the differences observed between men and
women when using mobile services, including basic
services such as voice.
Women generally appear to make and receive

fewer calls than men over the same time period.
The difference is particularly striking in the
number of calls made (outbound calls), with
women making 4 times fewer calls than men.
Fig. 4.7
Key voice metrics

Count and duration of inbound and outbound calls for men
and women recorded by leading South Asian operator
6.4
Women tend to receive more calls than they

make. The ratio of inbound/outbound calls
made by women was almost 3:1 compared
with less than 1:1 for men.
4.8
3.6
3.0
3.1
2.4
2.4
0.9
Women appear to engage in longer calls

than men, particularly when comparing the
duration of calls received (inbound calls),
which are almost 3 times longer for women
than for men.
Note: The gender of the user was pre-identified through
a phone-based survey
Outbound
call count
per day
Inbound
call count
per day
Outbound
call duration
(minutes)
Inbound
call duration
(minutes)
WOMEN MEN
Source: South Asian operator CDR analytics (September 2014)
However, in Mexico, where the overall gender gap in

ownership is relatively low at 6%, there was a notable
gender gap in mobile ownership in rural areas. Rural
women were estimated to be 26% less likely to own
a phone than rural men, compared with urban
women who are 2% less likely to own phones than
urban men.29 Other wealthier countries showed no
significant difference between male and female
phone ownership in rural and urban areas. The
Mexico example reveals the importance of
understanding the country context to appreciate
the different needs of women living there.
27
Fewer women than men report

trying mobile services other
than voice
mobile phone ownership and usage. In China, more

research is needed to understand the drivers of the
usage gap between men and women in SMS.
Fig. 4.11
In most countries, fewer women than men phone

owners report using mobile services beyond voice.
These findings indicate that women are not using
these more sophisticated services because they
likely face greater barriers than men (e.g., lowerend handsets that are not internet enabled, lack of
technical literacy, lower levels of education/literacy,
or more price sensitivity).
In these countries, there is an opportunity to bridge the

usage gap between men and women both in wealthier
and poorer households by increasing technical literacy,
as well as by providing more relevant products and
services for women. For poorer segments of the
population, it is also important to offer affordable
mobile products and services.
Kenya
In China, India, DRC, and Niger, women from both

poorer and wealthier households lag behind men in
SMS usage (Fig. 4.9 and 4.10). In India, DRC, and Niger,
where women lag behind men in SMS usage, lower
levels of literacy among women when compared with
men likely play a role in explaining these levels of
usage. Indian women from both wealthier and poorer
households, as well as women from lower income
households in Niger, also cited technical literacy more
often than their male counterparts as a barrier to
Mobile phone owners from poorer households who report never sending an SMS
Mobile phone owners (%)
India
Niger
DRC
Jordan
Colombia
China
Turkey
Kenya
10%
12%
15%
8%
10%
7%
8%
Mexico
Egypt
45%
55%
61%
WOMEN MEN
Note: Household wealth based on TV ownership in DRC,
Niger, Kenya; motorbike ownership in India, Colombia; car
ownership in China, Egypt, Jordan, Mexico, Turkey. Sample
sizes for women N= 139 to 524 and for men N= 52 to 148
22%
26%
29%
23%
31%
37%
44%
15%
8%
11%
9%
11%
9%
8%
10%
5%
7%
4%
2%
India
Niger
DRC
Jordan
Colombia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Mexico
Egypt
Indonesia
20%
23%
32%
25%
23%
25%
22%
44%
40%
55%
39%
4%
9%
33%
29%
11%
Never made
a call
20%
15%
9%
8%
0% 0%
Never sent
an SMS
Never used the

internet on
a mobile device
Never made
a call
0% 0%
Never sent
an SMS
Never used the

internet on
a mobile device
Never made
a call
Never sent
an SMS
Never used the

internet on
a mobile device
Note: Sample sizes for women N= 472 to 807 and for men N= 193 to 225
These examples illustrate that women move up the

digital ladder more slowly than men. In Fig. 4.11, there is
no gender gap in self-reported voice calls by male and
female survey respondents, but gaps are emerging in
SMS usage generally, and even greater gender gaps in
mobile internet usage are evident in Kenya and China.
In India, the reported usage gap for mobile internet
is smaller than for SMS, likely because the women
and men who access mobile internet are more highly
educated. In contrast, with SMS use, literacy rates
between men and women may vary to a greater degree.
17%
9%
11%
4%
4%
7%
11%
0%
4%
3%
2%
WOMEN MEN
WOMEN MEN
Note: Sample sizes for women N= 330 to 807 and

for men N= 133 to 234
Note: Household wealth based on TV ownership in DRC, Niger,

and Kenya; motorbike ownership in India, Indonesia, and Colombia;
car ownership in China, Egypt, Jordan, Mexico, and Turkey.
Sample sizes for women N= 149 to 598 and for men N= 53 to 171
28
57%
In several countries in the study, the gender gap in

usage widens for more sophisticated mobile services
(Fig. 4.11).
23%
Mobile phone owners from wealthier households who report never sending an SMS
55%
70%
Women are moving up the digital

ladder at a slower pace than men
Mobile phone owners who report never

sending an SMS
51%
81%
WOMEN MEN
29%
27%
35%
22%
35%
19%
7%
India
69%
48%
Fig. 4.10
33%
China
0% 0%
Fig. 4.9
Fig. 4.8
India
Niger
DRC
Jordan
Colombia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Mexico
Egypt
Indonesia
Men have the

latest touchscreen
phone whereas
women only have basic
mobile phones.
Rural female user,
India
Women report using mobile internet

less than men
Differences in mobile internet use between women
and men were apparent in the 11 countries where we
conducted primary field research, indicating that fewer
women than men use internet on a mobile phone.
Our study found that women own less expensive and
more basic mobile phones than men in every sample
country except Turkey, Egypt, China and Jordan,
where ownership profiles are more similar.32 Therefore,
fewer women than men are currently able to access
the internet through mobile phones. Given that mobile
phones are anticipated to be the mechanism through
which people in low- and middle-income countries
will access the internet, if women continue to own
less sophisticated handsets they will also be less
likely than men to have access to the internet for the
foreseeable future.
Men have the latest touchscreen phone whereas

women only have basic mobile phones.
Rural female user, India
In 9 of the 11 countries, more women than men report
never trying mobile internet (Fig. 4.12). The exceptions
are Colombia and Egypt, where men and women
access mobile internet at similar rates.
Fig. 4.12
Mobile phone owners who report never

using the internet on a mobile phone
India
Niger
DRC
Jordan
Colombia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Mexico
Egypt
Indonesia
70%
70%
20%
29%
28%
67%
41%
36%
41%
38%
81%
82%
81%
37%
32%
26%
32%
32%
39%
42%
57%
59%
WOMEN MEN
Note: Sample sizes for women N= 330 to 807 and for
men N= 133 to 234
However, it is worth noting that in this survey, income

and education levels have a large impact on reported
mobile internet usage. Often the differences in
mobile internet use between women from wealthier
households and those from poorer households are
greater than between men and women who are both
from poor households.
31. Note: reported SMS usage excludes IP-based services such as WhatsApp, which are discussed in the social media section of this report.
In China, Jordan, and Colombia, both men and women mentioned these services in focus group discussions.
32. For a detailed analysis of handset costs, see the handset cost barrier section of this report and Fig. 5.5.
In 6 of the 11 countries studied in this report, both

women and men phone owners try SMS at similar
rates (i.e., most have sent an SMS in their lifetime).31
However, in China, India, DRC and Niger, women lag
behind men in sending an SMS (Fig. 4.8). In contrast,
women in Colombia outpace men in SMS use.
Mobile phone owners who report never using certain mobile services
29
Egypt, where women report higher levels of Facebook

and Twitter usage than men who also own an internetenabled phone; China, where women and men use
WeChat equally; and Jordan, where women and
men use Twitter equally (Figs. 4.13 and 4.14).
Social media is particularly appealing to women,

but women still lag behind men in usage even
among feature phone and smartphone owners
(Figs. 4.13 and 4.14). Three notable exceptions are
Fig. 4.13
Fig. 4.14
Smartphone and feature phone owners

who report using Facebook or WeChat
Smartphone and feature phone owners

who report using Twitter or Weibo
Smartphone and feature phone owners (%)
Smartphone and feature phone owners (%)
Turkey
China
Egypt
Mexico
Colombia
Jordan
Indonesia
Kenya
Niger
DRC
India
79%
33%
30%
26%
72%
71%
65%
59%
63%
69%
62%
73%
54%
72%
48%
60%
42%
62%
89%
43%
44%
50%
Turkey
China
Egypt
Mexico
Colombia
Jordan
Indonesia
Kenya
Niger
DRC
India
50%
Urban male, Jordan

61%
54%
59%
42%
30%
41%
36%
15%
17%
20%
13%
7%
50%
52%
27%
33%
37%
21%
18%
14%
22%
WOMEN MEN
WOMEN MEN
Note: WeChat is in China only; sample sizes for women N= 99

to 754 and for men N= 60 to 215
Note: Weibo is in China only; sample sizes for women N= 99

to 754 and for men N= 60 to 215
In focus group discussions across countries, men were

perceived as having more access to mobile internet
than women. However, where men and women both
use mobile internet, women were perceived as using it
more, but for more social purposes (e.g., social media).
There are roughly 3 men for every woman on Facebook in India
Facebook currently has 111 million users in India, of

which 84 million are men and only 27 million are
women. This national average hides many regional
disparities, however. In states with the lowest
Facebook penetration among women, such as Bihar,
Gujarat or Rajasthan, there is one female user for
every 4 males, whereas in states like Mizoram this
gap narrows to one female for every 1.37 males.
30
With a few exceptions, there seems to be a correlation

between overall Facebook penetration and the gender
ratio of users. Mizoram and Sikkim, for example, have
the highest overall Facebook penetration among
their population (above 23%) and the smallest
gap between male and female users. Some of the
differences observed between men and women may
be explained by the types of handsets women use
(women generally have access to less sophisticated
devices), limited access to the internet, lower levels of
technical literacy, and social norms which may limit or
control womens access to mobile services in general,
and social media in particular.
Source: Medianama, 2014,
http://www.medianama.com/2014/10/223-facebook-india-users/
Women do not go
out as much, and they
need their mobile
phones to connect to
the outer world.
Sex ratio on Facebook in India

Men per 100 women
137
198
258
319
379
440
500
In focus group discussions in Niger, India and DRC,

where both men and women have limited access to
the internet, mobile internet was seen as a tool for
students or urban residents. In Indonesia and Kenya,
awareness of mobile internet was high and women
expressed a desire to use the internet as a way to
connect with family and children, as well as use social
media (i.e., Facebook, WhatsApp).
In Jordan, Turkey and Mexico, all groups were aware of
mobile internet, and usage is reportedly more frequent
among urban dwellers. Mobile internet in Jordan is
viewed favourably by both women and men as a way
for women to interact with friends and family, as well
as for entertainment since they are in the home for
most of the day. In fact, in Jordan, women reported
highly valuing group chat services and social media
channels, as they tend to spend most of their time at
home. Accessing social media and communicating via
WhatsApp can be a window to the outside world.
Women do not go out as much, and they need their
mobile phones to connect to the outer world.
Urban male, Jordan
In China, there was a perception among both men and

women that women tend to use mobile internet more
often than men, specifically for entertainment, such as
chatting via WeChat, and for online shopping.
In focus group discussions in all countries except
Jordan and China, the higher the level of education,
the more likely men and women are to be aware of
and report using more sophisticated services such as
mobile internet and social networking. In all countries
except Jordan and China, very few rural women with
low education levels used mobile internet, whereas
some rural men in all countries with low education
levels used it.
Taken together, the quantitative and qualitative
findings for mobile internet and social media suggest
that when women are aware of these services they
have a strong desire to use them, and social media is
particularly appealing. However, women lag behind
men in using these services due to a number of
barriers discussed later in this report.
These services offer a substantial commercial
opportunity for mobile industry players and can
benefit women. Overcoming the barriers women face
will be essential to encouraging women to move up the
digital ladder and use mobile internet and social media
in greater numbers.
Social media appeals to women
31
Closing the gender gap in mobile

ownership and usage could
add an additional $170 billion
to the industry by 2020
Taken together, closing the ownership and usage
gender gap could add an additional ~$170 billion in
revenue to the mobile industry by 2020 (Fig. 4.15).
Three scenarios for forecasting revenue are laid out:
1) business as usual or status quo, 2) concerted
efforts implemented to bridge the ownership gap,
and 3) concerted efforts made to bridge ownership
and usage gaps (Fig. 4.16).
The relative degree of focus on womens mobile
phone ownership and usage varies by region
and country (Fig. 4.17). For example, mobile
network operators in South Asia, where there is
a large gender gap in mobile ownership, should
prioritise closing this gap since it is estimated this
would contribute $15 billion in the next 5 years
(versus only $8 billion if the usage gap were
closed). In East Asia and Pacific, which is dominated
by a few large markets (e.g., China, Indonesia), the
usage gap offers a greater commercial opportunity.
As noted at the beginning of this report, however, it

is difficult to generalise regional findings to specific
countries. Certain countries or segments of women
within a region may have a wider gender gap in mobile
phone ownership, in which case access should be the
primary focus even if the region, on average, has high
rates of mobile phone ownership.
Therefore, the most important takeaway for industry

and policy-makers is to first conduct research to
understand the magnitude of the gender gap in
ownership and usage before launching a product in a
specific region or implementing a policy to facilitate
mobile access or use for women.
Fig. 4.17
Distribution of the estimated 5-year revenue opportunity across low- and

middle-income countries
(Billions USD)
Fig. 4.16
Revenue opportunity estimates are based

on three scenarios
11
11
168
23
70
20
34
8
(37%)
66
(95%)
15
(75%)
30
(88%)
9
10
(91%) (80%)
138
(82%)
15
(63%)
4
(5%)
5
(25%)
4
(12%)
2
1
(9%) (20%)
31
(18%)
South Asia
East Asia & Pacific
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Latin America
& Caribbean
Description of scenarios
Scenario
Mobile ownership
assumptions
Mobile phone ownership will

increase from 44% to 55% by
2020 (GSMA Intelligence
figures)
Male-to-female ratio identical
to existing ratio (by country)
Country ARPS* based on

GSMA Intelligence forecasts
as of December 2014
Gradually increase the % of

female phone owners to
match the number of male
phone owners by 2020
New female phone owners

contribute 50% of existing
female users ARPS
Gradually increase the % of

female phone owners to
match the number of male
phone owners by 2020
Existing female ARPS

gradually increases to align
with overall ARPS by 2020
New female phone owners
contribute 50% of existing
female users ARPS
Status quo
Bridging the
ownership
gap
Bridging the
ownership
and usage
gaps
Revenue
assumptions
Female ARPS = 90% of

market ARPS
Note: *ARPS stands for average revenue per unique subscriber.
Europe
&
Central
Asia
Middle
East &
North
Africa
Total 5 year
opportunity
(20152020)
BRIDGING THE OWNERSHIP GAP BRIDGING THE USAGE GAP1

Fig. 4.15
1: Bridging the usage gap figures include additional revenues expected from 1) Increasing ARPS from existing female owners
to match overall ARPS by 2020 and 2) Increasing ARPS from new female users bridging the ownership gap.
Revenue opportunity of bridging the gender gap in ownership and usage in lowand middle-income countries1
168
(Billions USD)
Note: Figures do not add up to the total due to rounding.
Scenario 3
42
34
19
32
6
2
423
2014
2015
12
3
432
437
2016
2017
138
(82%)
440
441
442
2018
STATUS QUO BRIDGING THE OWNERSHIP GAP BRIDGING THE USAGE GAP2
2019
2020
Focus on South Asia
31
(18%)
Scenario 2
Total 5 year
opportunity
(2015-2020)
1: Forecast revenue growth is for mobile network operators only and does not include revenues from other mobile
industry players.
2: Bridging the usage gap figures include additional revenues expected from 1) Increasing ARPS from existing
female owners to match overall ARPS by 2020 and 2) Increasing ARPS from new female users bridging the ownership gap.
Note: Figures do not add up to the total due to rounding.
As the region with the widest gender gap in mobile

phone ownership, South Asia offers a particularly
large opportunity for the mobile industry to expand
market share. Over 594m females in South Asia still
do not own a mobile phone, and women are 38% less
likely than men to own a mobile phone. Closing the
gender gaps in ownership and usage in South Asia
could potentially add up to $23 billion in revenue over
the next 5 years.
140m fewer females than males own a

phone, representing a 38% gender gap
$15B
Bridging the
Ownership Gap
$8B
Bridging the
Usage Gap
$23B
Revenue
Opportunity
26
33
Closing the gender gap in mobile

ownership and usage: Borrowers
and non-users
In regions like South Asia, phone sharing or borrowing
is common among women, and access can provide
certain benefits for women who do not own a phone.
For many living at the base of the pyramid, a mobile
phone purchase and on-going service costs represent
a significant portion of their income. A single shared
handset in a household or borrowing from friends or
others in the community is therefore the reality for the
foreseeable future. Given limited resources, families
may prioritise other expenditures over individual phone
ownership (e.g., healthcare, food).
Phone sharing or borrowing allows much-needed
access to voice services, but limits the ability of
borrowers to gain technical literacy and use lifeenhancing services like mobile money. Also, sharing
phones does not provide the privacy required for
some mobile services, such as maternal health
applications, which female users may not feel
comfortable accessing on a shared handset. It also
prevents a service provider from accurately providing
information to an end user (e.g., for a maternal health
application it may be necessary to know the month
of pregnancy of a user).
Borrowers are
predominantly women
34
Most borrowers in the countries we studied are women

(Fig. 4.18). Certain countries exhibit high borrowing
rates among women, particularly in India and Niger. In
Jordan, where the percentage of women who borrow
is lower, the difference between male and female
borrowing rates is still dramatic. Since borrowing is
not common in China, Egypt and Turkey, a detailed
analysis of borrowers in those countries is excluded
from this section.
In all countries with substantial levels of borrowing,

except Mexico, women who borrow phones do not
use other mobile services such as SMS, or more
sophisticated services such as mobile internet, with the
same intensity as women who own phones (Fig. 4.20).
Who do women borrow from?

Women in the countries we studied predominantly
share a handset with members of their household or
borrow from friends and family. Colombia was the only
country in the study where 35% of female borrowers
borrow from an agent (Fig. 4.21).
Proportion of lower and higher educated

women who are borrowers
Proportion of rural and urban women

who are borrowers
Respondents (%)
Respondents (%)
India
Niger
Mexico
Indonesia
Jordan
Colombia
Kenya
DRC
13%
8%
11%
3%
4%
0%
India
Niger
Mexico
Indonesia
Jordan
Colombia
Kenya
DRC
39%
21%
18%
23%
11%
8%
6%
7%
3%
6%
WOMEN LOWER EDUCATED WOMEN HIGHER EDUCATED
6%
11%
14%
11%
14%
12%
9%
6%
8%
8%
3%
6%
6%
RURAL WOMEN URBAN WOMEN
Note: Sample sizes for lower educated women N= 410 to 755 and for higher educated women N= 54 to 508
Sample sizes for rural women N= 178 to 661 and for urban women N= 168 to 631
Fig. 4.20
Reported SMS and mobile internet usage among female borrowers and owners
Proportion of female borrowers and owners
who report using SMS
Proportion of female borrowers and owners who

report using mobile internet
Female users (%)
Female users (%)
India
Niger
Mexico
Indonesia
Jordan
Colombia
Kenya
DRC
8%
45%
17%
49%
India
Niger
Mexico
Indonesia
Jordan
Colombia
Kenya
DRC
2%
19%
6%
Note: Sample sizes for female borrowers N= 46 to 254 and for female owners N= 330 to 739
Fig. 4.18
Fig. 4.21
Borrowers of mobile phones by country1
Who did female borrowers last borrow from?
Respondents (%)
Female borrowers (%)
India
8%
Mexico
Indonesia
6%
Jordan
4%
Kenya
4%
DRC
China
Turkey
96%
56%
59%
62%
37%
74%
77%
89%
63%
73%
68%
3%
41%
44%
50%
19%
8%
59%
59%
43%
19%
FEMALE BORROWERS FEMALE OWNERS
100%
19%
OTHER
I USED A HANDSET
AND/OR SIM FROM AN AGENT
12%
12%
10%
10%
1%
Colombia
93%
92%
57%
18%
29%
6%
Niger
34%
18%
21%
Sharing a handset in a household or borrowing from

friends or family is reported to be convenient by
most female borrowers interviewed. However, in focus
group discussions in Niger, owning was preferable to
borrowing for both men and women. In other countries
with lower levels of borrowing overall, both men
and women see mobile phones as private, personal
objects, which can be an obstacle for borrowers.
This was found to be true to different degrees during
focus group discussions in Jordan, Colombia, Egypt,
Indonesia, Mexico, and Turkey.
Egypt
In most countries in this study, women with lower
levels of education are more likely to be borrowers
except in Niger and Colombia, where borrowing is
common among women of all education levels
(Fig. 4.19). Borrowing is more common among
rural women in India, Niger, Indonesia, and Kenya.
However, it is equally common among urban and
rural women in other countries.
Profile of female borrowers
I USED A HANDSET
AND/OR SIM FROM WORK
7%
I USED A HANDSET AND/OR

SIM THAT IS AVAILABLE IN
MY COMMUNITY
I BORROWED A HANDSET
AND/OR SIM FROM A FRIEND
OR SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY
I USED THE HANDSET AND/OR
SIM THAT IS AVAILABLE AND
JOINTLY USED IN MY HOUSEHOLD
7%
6%
5%
1%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
WOMEN MEN
1: Borrowers are defined as respondents who do not own a
SIM but who have used a mobile phone in the last 3 months.
Note: Sample sizes for women N= 799 to 918 and for men
N= 200 to 316
India
Niger
Mexico
Indonesia
Jordan
Colombia
Kenya
DRC
Question: The last time you used a mobile phone, who did you borrow the handset and/or SIM from?
Note: Sample sizes for women borrowers N= 46 to 254
What about phone sharing?

Isnt access good enough?
Fig. 4.19
35
If a household shares a handset, the power dynamics

within that household can influence access to and
use of that handset. For example, BBC Media Action
research in Bihar, India, documented33 that households
typically had two mobile phones: one newer phone
with airtime that typically accompanied the husband
or male head of household, usually a landless labourer;
and a second, often older phone without any airtime
credit, kept at home as a shared phone for wives
and families and used mainly to receive calls. However,
despite the mobile phone being shared, multiple
relatives, often male, tend to take the phones outside
the home, leaving women without access during
those periods.
Borrowing does not allow women

the full benefits of mobile
Women who borrow phones use them less frequently
than owners, predominantly use voice, and face more
technical literacy challenges using mobile services.
Across the countries we studied, female borrowers
tended to rate the benefits of mobile phone ownership
lower than female owners (Fig. 4.22).
Borrowing provides access to mobile phones for
women in many countries, but they will not be
able to access the full benefits of mobile services unless
they have phones of their own. Moving women from
borrowers to owners will require MNOs to

first understand what women users value, and then
develop and deliver handsets and services that are
relevant and affordable. In countries where borrowing
is common, consumer insights research can give
industry valuable insights into the female borrowing
segment of the market.
Given the economic realities and cultural barriers
most women face on a daily basis, borrowing is here
for the foreseeable future. Therefore, mobile industry
players should explore products and services that
are specifically designed for shared handset use.
Innovative products that allow for multiple users could
help female borrowers move more quickly up the
digital ladder and reap the benefits of more active
mobile usage.
Fig. 4.22
Benefits of mobile phones for female borrowers versus owners
What about non-users? Why do

some women have no access to a
mobile phone?
Female users who agree or strongly agree (%)
I have better access to health information & services
I have more business and/or employment opportunities

91%
86%
91%
89%
80%78%
77%
91%
84%
73%
73%
70%
84%
72%
66%
71%
70%
70%
69%
64%
57%
57%
51%
46%
44%
39%
47%
69%
46%
41%
Non-users,34 both men and women, are more prevalent

in some countries than others, with the highest
proportion living in DRC and Niger.
In the countries we studied, non-users are usually from
poorer households, have lower levels of education, and
are predominantly women, especially in markets with
low mobile phone penetration. In 5 of these markets,

the percentage of men and women who do not use
mobile phones is relatively small and very similar, but in
the other 6 markets,35 a higher proportion of non-users
were women.
Just as for those who already own a mobile phone,
costparticularly of handsetsis the biggest barrier
faced by female non-users in most countries.36
However, these non-users also identified other
important barriers, which vary by country. In Indonesia,
for instance, female non-users reported lack of ID
documents, along with cost, as the greatest barrier. In
Mexico, security concerns, harassment from strangers,
and lack of trust in operators and agents are perceived
to be even greater barriers than cost.
In addition, a surprisingly high number of female nonusers say they have never had the opportunity to try
a mobile phone (Fig. 4.23). However, the majority of
them (ranging from 52% in Egypt to 95% in Niger)
reported they would be willing to use a mobile phone
if they were given one (Fig. 4.24).
These findings suggest that socio-economic factors
are the primary force preventing non-users from
owning phones. There is demand, however, and
women who do not currently use a mobile phone
would, given the chance.
39%
26%
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico Indonesia Kenya Colombia Jordan
Niger
India
I have better access to education

services/learning opportunities
DRC
I feel more autonomous/independent

89%
83%
74%
64%
74%
66%
69%
67%
57%
69%
63% 64%
57%
74%
69%
74%
71%
51%
40%
38%
31%
27%
36
India
DRC
Niger
India
DRC
Fig. 4.24
Female non-users who have never had the

opportunity to try a mobile phone
Female non-users who would use a mobile

phone if they were given one
Female non-users1 (%)
Female non-users1 (%)
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
56%
49%
49%
45%
59%
49%
40%
28%
75%
50%
1: Shows percentage who agree or strongly agree with the

question: Now we are going to talk about some possible
reasons that might be preventing you from using a mobile
phone. Please tell me the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the following statements?": "I never had the
opportunity to try a mobile phone.
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
95%
66%
93%
72%
77%
57%
87%
84%
52%
70%
1: Shows percentage who answered Yes, definitely or Yes,

most probably to the question: If tomorrow someone gave
you a mobile phone (handset and SIM) for free, would you
use it and top it up on a regular basis?.
Note: Turkey is not included as the sample size was
insufficient. Sample sizes between N= 34 to 368
Note: Turkey is not included as the sample size was

insufficient. Sample sizes between N= 34 to 368
FEMALE BORROWERS FEMALE OWNERS

Note: Sample sizes for female owners: N= 303 to 735 and for female borrowers N= 39 to 213
33. Yvonne MacPherson and Sara Chamberlain, BBC Media Action, 2013, Health on the Move: Can Mobile Phones Save Lives?,
http://www.rethink1000days.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BBC-Media-Action-Health-on-the-move.pdf
34. Non-users are defined as those who have not used a mobile in the last 3 months (i.e., have not even borrowed one).
35. DRC, Niger, Mexico, India, Jordan, and Indonesia.
36. In 5 of the 9 countries for which sample size is sufficient to comment (insufficient sample size in China and Turkey), including the 2
countries with the largest proportion of non-users (DRC and Niger), cost and handset cost in particular, was reported as the highest
barrier. In Indonesia, cost was reported as the greatest and equally important barrier.
Niger
78%
61%
50%
46%
78%
60%
57%
51%
84%
80%
Fig. 4.23
37
Women still face

barriers to mobile
phone ownership
and usage in spite
of the benefits
Barriers from the

customer perspective
Overview
of barriers
Women face a number of different barriers related to
owning a mobile phone, purchasing credit, and using
it for basic and value-added services. For the purpose
of this paper, we have defined a barrier as a key issue
that prevents a customer or potential customer from
owning a mobile phone or using it to its full benefit.
Women can experience a variety of barriers at the
same time; the importance of which can be difficult to
untangle. These barriers are summarised in Fig. 5.1.
To the left side of Fig. 5.1 are barriers from the
perspective of the customer, or potential customer,
derived from previous research and expert input.37
Respondents from across our 11 countries were
questioned about these barriers to determine the
relative importance of each one. These barriers
were also listened for during the focus groups and
explored in expert interviews. The majority of this
section focuses on these barriers, highlighting the
relevant supply-side and policy issues associated with
the major barriers (where applicable). This approach
provides a more detailed and nuanced view than the
GSMA mWomen 2010 report,38 which identified four

broad categories of barriers: cost, lack of perceived
value, technical literacy, and cultural issues. For
example, the various aspects of cost are examined
in more detail in this study, value does not emerge
as one of the key barriers, and cultural issues have
been redefined in this study as an underlying, hidden
barrier called social norms, rather than a discrete
barrier in its own right.
In contrast, on the right side of Fig. 5.1 are two key
barriers independent of the customer that arose
during expert interviews. These systemic barriers
lack of gender-disaggregated data and lack of focus
on womenrelate more specifically to two important
ecosystem actors: mobile operators and policymakers. Whether intentionally or not, the action or
inaction of mobile operators and policy-makers can
serve to inhibit womenas well as menfrom owning
and using mobile phones to their full benefit. These
systemic barriers are briefly considered at the end
of this section.
Fig. 5.1
Barriers influencing womens access and usage of mobile phones
Barriers from the customer perspective
In our survey, we asked respondents across

11 countries the extent to which they agreed that
certain pre-determined barriers39 were preventing
them from 1) using a mobile phone more often or
for a greater variety of purposes (if they already
owned a mobile phone), or 2) using a mobile phone
altogether (if they did not own a mobile phone).
Fig. 5.2 provides a high-level overview of the
responses from all respondents, both mobile owners
and non-owners combined. Percentages represent
respondents who agree or strongly agree that they
perceive it as a barrier.
The extent to which certain barriers are believed
to be important varies significantly by country,
and to a lesser extent between men and women
in the same country. This illustrates the power of
context (see the Country Profiles in Appendix 1 and
Table 1 in Appendix 2 for a more detailed review of
country-specific barriers).
Whereas self-reported data of this sort is strongly
influenced by the country and context in which
respondents live, some interesting patterns emerge
across countries, which this section will examine
in more detail:
5 key barriers are reported by women and men

across countries, among both owners and nonowners40 (see Fig. 5.3):
1.
Cost (handset and credit)
2. Network quality and coverage
3. Security and harassment
4. Operator/agent trust
5. Technical literacy and confidence
Other barriers also impact womens and mens
ownership and use of mobile phones, which are
overall less important than the above barriers,
but can be very important in certain contexts.
For example, in certain countries, or among certain
segments of women in a country, such as those
who live in rural areas or poorer households or
do not yet own a mobile phone. These barriers
include issues relating to agent service and access,
not perceiving the value of a mobile phone, lack
of ID documents, their family feeling
uncomfortable with them using a phone, and poor
access to electricity for charging.
Systemic barriers
Income and
affordability
Incentives to
own and use
User capability
and design
Infrastructure
Handset cost
Value
Technical literacy
& confidence
Network quality
& coverage
SIM cost
Family
Uncomfortable
Agent service
Credit cost
Security
& harassment
Agent access
Battery
charging cost
Operator/agent trust
ID
Lack of genderdisaggregated data
Lack of focus
on women
40
37. For example, the 4-tier framework of Income and affordability, Incentives to own and use, User capability & design,
and Infrastructure builds on the framework used in GSMAs Digital Inclusion Report 2014,
http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/digital-inclusion-report-2014
39. As derived from previous research and expert input.
40. These same top 5 barriers are reported by both female and male owners and non-owners (except that technical literacy and confidence
is more important for female non-owners than agent/operator trust, and the sample size for male non-owners is too small in most
countries to comment on overall ranking). Fig. 5.2 shows all respondents (owners and non-owners) combined. Similar detailed results for
only owners or only non-owners are not shown separately for the sake of clarity.
Battery
charging access
41
China
50% 49%
32%
36%
53%
53%
24%
32%
36%
39%
30%
31%
63% 64%
56%
58%
Turkey
65% 64% 63%
63%
62%
61%
19%
16%
35%
35%
19%
16%
44% 34%
45%
42%
Kenya
50% 45%
31%
31%
45%
39%
31%
27%
12%
9%
8%
5%
27%
17%
21%
17%
Colombia
66%
19%
19%
58%
61%
24%
17%
60% 58%
28%
16%
75%
70%
68% 70%
Egypt
80% 80% 38%
36%
47%
49% 34%
35%
47%
50% 40%
31%
53%
48%
33%
36%
Jordan
76%
21%
69%
63%
5%
21%
12%
3%
57%
37%
40%
21%
71%
42%
56%
17%
21%
Fig. 5.2
Perception of barriers to owning and using a mobile phone
HIGHEST BARRIER PERCEIVED

IN THAT COUNTRY 4
Respondents who agree or strongly agree (%)1
Income and affordability

Handset cost
SIM cost
Family
uncomfortable
Value2
Agent access
Battery
charging access
ID
57%
51%
50% 39%
34%
28%
33%
35%
5%
6%
11%
8%
18%
18%
21%
21%
30% 25%
39% 40% 17% 19% 23% 17% 29% 23% 32% 28%
29%
25%
39%
36%
16%
17%
15%
17%
16%
14%
34%
33%
21%
17%
35% 26%
45% 35% 17% 12% 20% 18% 27% 28% 10% 12%
DRC
44%
35%
14%
12%
23%
23%
22%
28%
8%
9%
15%
15%
18%
19%
20%
21%
21% 18%
42% 39% 18% 17% 16% 17%
Mexico
66% 65%
36%
41%
51%
54%
31%
30%
47%
53%
31%
37%
69% 68%
67%
68%
42% 46%
47% 45% 41% 47% 39% 46% 39% 34% 19% 23%
Indonesia
40%
37%
19%
16%
32%
28%
14%
16%
16%
17%
15%
12%
32%
20%
25%
28% 21%
50% 47% 14% 17% 19% 17% 27% 28% 13% 14%
China
50% 49%
32%
36%
53%
53%
24%
32%
36%
39%
30%
31%
63% 64%
56%
58%
48% 46% 40% 43% 40% 44% 34% 33% 17% 20% 19% 26%
Turkey
65% 64% 63%
63%
62%
61%
19%
16%
35%
35%
19%
16%
44% 34%
45%
42%
24% 19%
24% 19% 31% 27% 25% 23% 18% 18% 16% 12%
Kenya
50% 45%
31%
31%
45%
39%
31%
27%
12%
9%
8%
5%
27%
17%
21%
17%
28% 22%
59% 60% 17% 12% 30% 24% 23% 22% 26% 23%
Colombia
66%
19%
19%
58%
61%
24%
17%
60% 58%
28%
16%
75%
70%
68% 70%
43% 35%
42% 40% 39% 36% 41% 37% 31% 33% 17% 20%
Egypt
80% 80% 38%
36%
47%
49% 34%
35%
47%
50% 40%
31%
53%
48%
33%
36%
40% 40%
75% 74% 36% 37% 36% 35% 44% 26% 31% 37%
Jordan
76%
21%
69%
63%
5%
21%
12%
3%
57%
37%
40%
21%
34% 17%
65% 49% 36% 17% 31% 26% 8%
User capability
and design
21%
Agent
service2
50% 45%

IN THAT COUNTRY 4
Technical literacy Network quality

& confidence2
& coverage
India
17%
Operator or
agent trust
Niger
56%
Security &
harassment2
42%
Battery
charging cost
Infrastructure
71%
User capability
and design
Incentives to own and use
Credit cost
LOWEST BARRIER PERCEIVED

IN THAT COUNTRY 4
30%
4%
23% 26%
17%
9%
1: Shows percentage who agree or

strongly agree with Q 55: Now we are
going to talk about some possible reasons
that might be preventing you from using a
mobile phone or using a mobile phone
more often or for more varied usages than
you are today. Please tell me the extent to
which you agree or disagree with the
following statements?: [Example]
Handset prices are expensive.
2: For the purpose of clarity, percentages
for the following barriers have been
calculated by taking a simple average
from across sub-barriers: Value',
Security & harassment', Technical
literacy & confidence and Agent service';
see Appendix 2 for responses to all
individual barriers.
3: ID barrier question was not asked in
DRC because at the time of the research,
requirements for registration were unclear
and, in practice, ID is rarely required to
buy a SIM. Therefore, ID was assumed to
not be a barrier in DRC.
4: Red-green demarcation includes
sub-barriers (not shown; see Appendix 2).
Note: For each barrier in each country,
N= 648 to 881 for women and N= 164
to 314 for men.

IN THAT COUNTRY 4
42
norms appears to be an underlying barrier that is

often hidden within other, more commonly cited
barriers that influence womens access to and use
of mobile technology. The following sections will
highlight the barriers survey respondents overtly
stated, but it is important to remember that
social norms strongly influence a number of these
barriers to women accessing mobile technology.
Cost
Network quality
& coverage
3
4
5
Security &
harassment
Operator /
agent trust
Technical literacy
& confidence
3
4
5
Cost
Network quality
& coverage
Security &
harassment
Technical literacy
& confidence
Operator /
agent trust
1: Shows percentage who agree or

strongly agree with Q 55: Now we are
going to talk about some possible reasons
Technical literacy Network quality
Battery
that might be preventing you from using a
Agent
Agent
access
ID
2

Women
tend
to
experience
certain
barriers
These
cross-country
findings
areusing
an important
call
2
mobile
phone or
a mobile phone
& confidence
& coverage
charging access
service
often or for
more varied usages
more acutely than men, such as cost, security
to action, but themore
importance
of understanding
thethan
you are today. Please tell me the extent to
W and Mharassment,
W
Mand technical
W
M literacy
W and
M
W
M localWcontext
M cannot
overstated.
Barriers
to the
mobile
whichbe
you
agree or disagree
with
following
statements?:
[Example]
confidence, which can likely be explained by
ownership and use
vary by
country, gender,
population
prices are expensive.
30%social
25%norms.
39% Social
40% norms
17% influence
19% 23%womens
17% 29%
32% 28%
role, 23%segment,
as wellHandset
as the mobile
product in question.
2: For the purpose of clarity, percentages
and access
to education
vital 12%
for industry
and
other
to use
35%status,
26% empowerment,
45% 35% 17%
12% 20%
18% 27% 28%It is10%
for the following stakeholders
barriers have been
calculated
byto
taking
average
and income in society, and consequently their 3
research
gain aa simple
more nuanced
3 consumer insights
21% 18% 42% 39% 18% 17% 16% 17%
23% 26%
sub-barriers: Value',
relationship with mobile technology. Social norms
understanding offrom
the across
specific
barriers experienced by
Security & harassment', Technical
42%are46%
47%
45% 41%
47% as39%
46%so39% 34%women
19% in23%
difficult
to directly
measure
they are
the market
in &question,
or and
for the
particular
literacy
confidence
Agent
service';
seeservice
Appendix
2 for responses to all
in the 47%
everyday
of a society
that 27% 28%mobile
concerned.
28%ingrained
21% 50%
14% life17%
19% 17%
13% product
14% or
individual barriers.
respondents might not notice that what they
3: ID barrier question was not asked in
48%are46%
40%
43%
40%
44%
34%
33%
17%
20%
19%
26%
experiencing is any different. As a result,
DRC because at the time of the research,
Fig. 5.3
requirements for registration were unclear
24%women
19% (and
24%men)
19%may
31%
27%certain
25% barriers
23% 18% 18%Top
16%5 barriers
12%
report
preventing women from
and, in practice, ID is rarely required to
around social norms less often than would be
owning
and
using
mobile
phones
acrossto
buy
a SIM.
Therefore,
ID was assumed
28% 22% 59% 60% 17% 12% 30% 24% 23% 22% 26% 23%
not be a barrier in DRC.
expected. This might explain the relatively low
sample countries
43%proportion
35% 42%
40% respondents
39% 36% 41%
37% that
31% 33% 17% 20% 4: Red-green demarcation includes
of female
reporting
shown;tosee
Appendix 2).
Barriers to usage sub-barriers (not
Barriers
ownership
their
families
are
(or
would
be)
uncomfortable
barriers
among Note: For each barrier
(Top barriers
among
40% 40% 75% 74% 36% 37% 36% 35% 44% 26%(Top31%
37%
in each
country,
female
owners)
female
non-owners)
with them using a mobile (Fig. 5.2). Thus, instead
N= 648 to 881 for women and N= 164
34% 17% 65% 49% 36% 17% 31% 26% 8% 4% 17% 9%
to 314 for men.
of being a discrete, stand-alone barrier, social
Infrastructure
43
Key takeaways
Cost is the most important barrier overall to owning and using a mobile phone,
particularly for women, who often have less financial independence.
Lowering costs (e.g., handset prices) will disproportionately benefit women and
help to increase both access and usage.
Cost is the most important barrier

to mobile phone ownership and use
Cost, more specifically the cost of the handset and
credit, is the greatest overall barrier reported by both
men and women across our sample countries (Figs. 5.2
and 5.4). This is true for both owners, who presumably
have the purchase of their next handset in mind, as
well as those who do not yet own a mobile phone.
The cost of SIM cards and battery charging was
reported as less of an issue than the cost of handset
and credit in most countries, but it still remains an
issue in some markets.41
Fig. 5.4
Perception of cost as a barrier

Respondents who agree or strongly agree (%)
Handset cost
44
SIM cost
Credit cost
Battery
charging cost
Niger
57% 51% 50% 39% 34% 28% 33% 35%
India
50% 45% 29% 25% 39% 36% 16% 17%
DRC
44% 35% 14% 12% 23% 23% 22% 28%
Mexico
66% 65% 36% 41% 51% 54% 31% 30%
Indonesia
40% 37% 19% 16% 32% 28% 14% 16%
China
50% 49% 32% 36% 53% 53% 24% 32%
Turkey
65% 64% 63% 63% 62% 61% 19% 16%
Kenya
50% 45% 31% 31% 45% 39% 31% 27%
Colombia
66% 71% 19% 19% 58% 61% 24% 17%
Egypt
80% 80% 38% 36% 47% 49% 34% 35%
Jordan
76% 42% 56% 21% 69% 63% 17%
This was echoed during focus groups, where women

and men in 9 of the 11 countries spontaneously raised
cost as an issue and were primarily concerned about
handset prices, airtime costs (including data charges),
or cost more generally. Interestingly, women more
often raised concerns related to the overall cost of
owning and using a phonenot just the initial cost
of the handset, but also airtime, repair charges, and
battery chargingwhereas men tended to only
mention handset cost, airtime, or both.
Cost is a greater barrier for

women than men
Women tend to cite handset and credit cost as a
barrier more commonly than men. When it comes
to handset cost, Colombia is the only country where
more men than women cited this as a barrier. In 5 of
the remaining countries, handset cost is reported as
a similar barrier among men and women, but in India,
Kenya, Jordan, Niger and DRC, more women reported
handset cost as a barrier than men. In DRC, for
example, 44% of female respondents reported handset
cost as a barrier versus 35% of men. For credit cost,
male and female respondents reported this as a barrier
more or less equally in 7 of the 11 countries, but in
Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya and Niger, more women than
men reported this as a barrier.
In most countries, women from rural and poorer
households in the survey were more likely to report
cost as a barrier. This was most apparent in Niger,
where 63% of rural women cited handset cost as a
barrier, compared with 29% of urban women.
5%
HIGHEST BARRIER PERCEIVED IN THAT COUNTRY LOWEST BARRIER PERCEIVED IN THAT COUNTRY
Women tend to have more

basic phones
1: Shows percentage who agree or strongly agree with Q 55.

Actual question asked was: Now we are going to talk about
some possible reasons that might be preventing you from
using a mobile phone or using a mobile phone more often or
for more varied usages than you are today. Please tell me the
extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements?: Handset prices are expensive; SIM cards are
expensive; Credit/monthly bill is expensive; Charging the
battery of my handset is/would be expensive.
Note: N = 648 to 863 for women and N= 164 to 308 for men
Handset cost is usually a greater barrier for women

than men, which may contribute in part to women
having less expensive and more basic mobile phones
than men in every sample country except Turkey,
Egypt, China and Jordan, where ownership profiles are
more similar. Fig. 5.5 (and Appendix 2) shows 3 other
markets as an example.
Type of handset owned by women and men1

Handset owners (%)
100%
The reason why women typically report cost as a

greater barrier than men is likely because, in most
settings, women are less likely to earn an income and,
if they do, earn less income.42 This was echoed in each
of our sample countries, where fewer women than
men reported contributing to the household income
over the last month.
Even when women do earn or receive an income,
they do not always control how that income is spent,
including on mobile-related expenses. In our survey,
the role men and women play in making decisions
about general household expenses varies by country,
with women playing a larger decision-making role
in countries such as Indonesia and Mexico, and men
playing a larger decision-making role in countries such
as Niger and India.
However, when it comes to mobile-related expenses,
the differences between men and women are more
pronounced. In 10 of the 11 countries,43 fewer women
than men reported paying for their handset and credit
recharge44 with their own money. Fig. 5.6 shows credit
recharge as an example for all sample countries. When
women do not pay for their handset or credit recharge
themselves, their husbands or another male family
member usually pay instead.
Women
Men
Women
Niger
Men
Women
Indonesia
Men
Colombia
BASIC PHONE FEATURE PHONE SMARTPHONE

1: Smartphone is defined as a handset that has all of the
following four features/capabilities: QWERTY/AZERTY
keyboard, touchscreen, ability to access the internet, and
download apps. Feature phone is defined as a handset that
has at least one of these four features/capabilities. Basic
phone is defined as one that does not have any of these four
features/capabilities. If a respondent had >1 handset, they
were asked which handset they used most often.
Note: Sample sizes for women N= 345 to 807 and for men N=
144 to 225
Fig. 5.6
Most common source of money for credit recharge1

100%
Women Men
Niger
Women Men
Women Men
India
DRC
Women Men
Mexico
Women Men
Women Men
Women Men
Women Men
Women Men
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Indonesia
Women Men
Egypt
Women Men
Jordan
MY OWN MONEY THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD BUDGET OTHER SOURCE

1: Also refers to monthly bill where applicable. Actual question asked was: Where does the money to refill your credit balance
or pay your monthly bill usually come from?
41. This is likely because SIM cards are very low cost, or free, in most markets.
42. World Economic Forum (2014), The Global Gender Gap Report 2014,
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GGGR14/GGGR_CompleteReport_2014.pdf
43. In China, the remaining country, this is true for credit recharge whereas for handset purchase a similar proportion of female (90%)
and male (93%) handset owners report paying for their handset with their own money.
44. Also refers to monthly bill where applicable.
Cost
Fig. 5.5
Cost is a greater barrier for

women because they are often
less financially independent
45
Even when women use their own money or the

household budget to pay for their handset and
credit recharge, in some countries they often require
permission to spend the money, and usually more
so than men. This is most evident in India, Indonesia,
Jordan, Turkey, and Egypt (see Appendix 2 and
Fig. 5.19 where India is discussed in more
detail). Fig. 5.7 shows credit purchase in Egypt
as an example.
Lower priced handsets will

disproportionately benefit women
Over the past few years, declining handset and
airtime prices have been recognised as a key driver
of mobile adoption among low-income populations.45
In particular, significant efforts have been made
to improve smartphone affordability to reach the
underserved with mobile internet. Increasingly
cheaper smartphone models continue to be launched.
In all of our sample markets except Niger,46 only a

relatively small proportion of female and male handset
owners (about 2040% in most markets) report their
handset had been previously owned by someone else,
indicating that new handsets tend to be more common
than secondhand ones.
It is important to recognise that because women
are usually more price sensitive than men (i.e., cost
is a greater barrier for women), more competitively
priced handsets and handset packages are likely to
disproportionately benefit women (see Smart case
study). However, for someone living on $2 a day,
even the purchase of a cheaper handset will likely
be a burden. Other interventions, such as subsidised
handsets or credit mechanisms for handset purchases,
also need to be considered.
CASE
STUDY
Low-cost handset and SIM packages:

The example of Smart, Philippines
Smart in the Philippines aims to increase mobile adoption among the poorest through a handset and SIM package
supported by a specific distribution strategy. The Panalo Talk N Text phone pre-loaded with the Talk N Text prepaid SIM costs as little as US$ 11.47 The basic handset package is distributed by sales agents going door-to-door in
the poorest districts of the country, as well as by provincial distributors. In addition, Smart offers very small credit
top-upas low as 11 centsto meet the needs of users with limited purchasing power.
Image courtesty of Smart Philippines
Fig. 5.7
Credit purchase behaviour in Egypt

Where does the money to refill your credit balance
usually come from?1
Do you usually have to ask permission to spend this money?

SIM owners who paid with their own money or the general
household budget (%)
SIM owners (%)
100%
100%
FRIENDS / OTHERS
ANOTHER
FEMALE RELATIVE
ANOTHER
MALE RELATIVE
MY SPOUSE
THE GENERAL
HOUSEHOLD BUDGET
MY OWN MONEY
NO
SOMETIMES
YES, MOST OF
THE TIME
YES, ALWAYS
46
Men
Women
Men
1: Also refers to monthly bill, where applicable.

45. GSMA Intelligence, 2014, Smartphones in Emerging Markets,

https://gsmaintelligence.com/analysis/2014/12/smartphones-in-emerging-markets/450/
46. In Niger, roughly half of respondents (49% of women and 58% of men) report their handset had been previously owned
by someone else.
47. Panalo Phone with pre-paid SIM: http://store.smart.com.ph/handset/plan/list?optionId=13&page=2;

Pinoy Tech Blog, Php499 Panalo Phone now madeavailable nationwide,
http://www.pinoytechblog.com/archives/php499-panalo-phone-now-made-available-nationwide
Women
47
Network quality and coverage

can be a greater barrier for women
than men
Network quality and coverage is the second most important barrier overall to owning
and using a mobile phone, and is an issue in both rural and urban areas.
In some settings, network quality and coverage

can be a greater barrier for women. Among survey
respondents, network quality and coverage was
perceived as a similar barrier by women and men in 8
countries and a greater barrier for women than men in
the other 3 countries (Fig. 5.8).
Network quality and coverage does not always affect women and men equally. Women
may perceive it as a greater barrier in some settings due to mobility constraints, more
basic handsets, and fewer SIMs to choose from.
Network quality and coverage is

the second most important barrier
overall, and is an issue in both rural
and urban areas
The network quality and coverage barrier
encompasses issues related to either the complete
absence of network coverage or poor network quality
where network coverage exists.48 This is cited as
the second most important barrier overall for both
men and women in the surveys (Figs. 5.2 and 5.8),
regardless of whether they own a mobile phone, and
was raised spontaneously as a concern in focus groups
in 10 of the 11 countries.
This finding may seem surprising given that the

formal, documented reach of mobile networks in the 11
countries we studied covers a high proportion of each
countrys population: 90% or more of the population
in 7 countries, 8087% in 3 countries, and 55% in one
country.49 The relatively high level of concern expressed
by respondents can therefore likely be attributed, in
most cases, to poor network quality (e.g., dropped
calls) rather than no coverage at all. Indeed, although it
was not always clear whether focus group respondents
were referring to a complete lack of coverage or poor
network quality, there are mainly explicit references to
the latter.
48
The signal is very poor. Sometimes

when you are calling, the connection
is so bad that the call drops.
Rural female, Colombia
Furthermore, poor network quality and coverage is not
just a rural phenomenon. Whereas concerns are usually
more acute in rural areas, there are issues in urban
areas too. In the survey, with few exceptions,50 network
quality and coverage is reported as a relatively more
important barrier by rural women and men, but 1963%
of urban women (depending on the sample country)
and 1754% of urban men still cite it as an issue.51

Concerns with network quality and coverage were also
spontaneously raised in urban focus group discussions
in most countries.
Poor network quality is another

problem. Sometimes when you want
to call someone, you have to wait 10
minutes before getting through even
though the phone youre calling is
switched on.
Urban female, DRC
Fig. 5.8
Perception of network quality and

coverage as a barrier
Network quality
& coverage
Niger
39% 40%
India
45%
35%
DRC
42%
39%
Mexico
47%
45%
Indonesia
50%
47%
China
40% 43%
Turkey
24%
Kenya
59% 60%
Colombia
42% 40%
Egypt
75%
Jordan
65% 49%
19%
74%
1: Shows percentage who

agree or strongly agree
with Q 55. Actual question
asked was: Now we are
going to talk about some
possible reasons that
might be preventing you
from using a mobile phone
or using a mobile phone
more often or for more
varied usages than you are
today. Please tell me the
extent to which you agree
or disagree with the
following statements?:
There is no coverage
or poor coverage where
I live.
Note: Sample sizes for
women N= 770 to 870 and
for men N= 199 to 304
In urban areas, responses are mixed as to whether

network quality and coverage is a greater barrier for
women than men,52 but in rural areas the differences
are more apparent. In 5 countries it was perceived to
be an equally important barrier by rural women and
men, and in the remaining 5 countries (Colombia,
Mexico, DRC, India, and Turkey), rural women reported
it as a more important barrier (Fig. 5.9).53
Women may perceive network

quality and coverage as a greater
barrier than men because of
mobility constraints, more
basic handsets, and fewer SIMs
to choose from
Women may perceive network quality and coverage
to be a higher barrier than men in certain contexts
due to the mobility constraints they often face
compared to men. In many settings, particularly
conservative ones, women typically spend more
time than men at home looking after the household,
children, and the elderly,54 and indoor signals can be
weaker. Women in rural areas can also be less likely
than their male counterparts to travel to more urban
areas for work or other reasons, where network
coverage is usually better.
Women may also perceive network quality and

coverage to be a greater issue than men because they
usually have a lower number of SIMs to choose from55
and more basic phones, which usually have inferior
radio frequency capability (Fig. 5.5).
Fig. 5.9
Perception of network quality and

coverage as a barrier in rural areas
Rural respondents (users and non-users) who agree or strongly
agree that network quality and coverage is a barrier (%)
74%
71%
61%61%
53%
51% 51%
50%
48%
43%
47%
41%
35%
43% 43% 44%

41%
36%
34%
26%
Jordan Kenya Indonesia Colombia Mexico DRC
India
Niger China
Turkey
WOMEN MEN
Note: Excludes Egypt where rural-urban split unavailable.
Sample sizes for women N= 158 to 617 and for men
N= 46 to 158
48. It is important to note that perceptions are specific to the user and could be related to, for example, voice, data or both, and are likely
to relate to their own operator rather than more generally.
49. 2014 GSMA estimate based on GSM coverage data.
50. Exceptions include: Mexico, where urban men cited it as a more important barrier than rural men and it was very similar for women;
China, where the barrier was perceived similarly by rural and urban women, and by rural and urban men; India, where the barrier was
perceived similarly by rural and urban men; and Egypt, where a rural-urban split was unavailable.
51. Compared with 3671% of rural women and 2674% of rural men. Excludes Egypt where a rural-urban split was unavailable.
52. In 5 countries, the barrier is similarly reported by urban women and men; in 2 countries, urban males report it more often; and in 3
countriesJordan, India and Indonesiaurban women report it more often.
53. Excludes Egypt where a rural-urban split was unavailable.
54. The World Bank, 2012, World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development,
http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/
EXTWDR2012/0,,contentMDK:22999750~menuPK:8154981~pagePK:64167689~piPK:64167673~theSitePK:7778063,00.html
55. In each sample country, the average number of SIMs owned by female owners was lower or the same as male owners.
Key takeaways
Focus groups in Jordan, for instance, revealed that

women are more likely than men to face constraints to
their mobility because they spend more time at home
looking after the household and children. Men, on the
other hand, are more likely to go out to socialise and
spend time working to provide for their families.
49
Security and harassment
Harassment from strangers is

usually a greater barrier for women
While women reported harassment from strangers
as an equal or greater barrier than men in all survey
countries, differences were most apparent in Jordan,
Egypt, and Kenya (Figs. 5.2, 5.11, 5.13). Focus group
discussions in these countries as well as in Niger
and Turkey, revealed that, compared with other
sample countries, it was not uncommon for men
to harass women via mobile. In Egypt and Jordan,
for instance, men and women reported the practice
of men randomly dialling numbers in the hope of
reaching a woman:
Key takeaways
Security and harassment issues are top-of-mind for women and need to be on the mobile
industrys agenda. It is the third most important barrier overall for women and men, with
more women perceiving security concerns (e.g., fear of handset theft) and harassment
from strangers as an issue.
Innovative mobile safety services can help elevate mobile as a safety tool for women.
Fig. 5.11
Fig. 5.12
Countries where women report security

and harassment barriers more than men
Countries where women report security

as a greater barrier
All respondents
Fig. 5.10
For the purpose of this report, the security and

harassment barrier refers to security concerns related
to owning and using mobile phones, harassment from
strangers, or spam advertisements via mobile phone.
Overall, women tend to perceive security issues and

harassment from strangers as an even greater barrier
than men, although the extent to which spam is a
barrier for women and men depends on the country
where they live (Figs. 5.10 and 5.11).
Security is usually a greater

barrier for women
Women reported security as an equal or greater

barrier than men in all countries, but it is a particularly
big barrier for women (compared to men) in Turkey,
Kenya, Colombia, and Jordan (Figs. 5.10, 5.11, 5.12).
50
In focus group discussions in these countries, as well

as in Mexico, Egypt and DRC, most security concerns
raised by women were the fear of having their mobile
phone stolen or fraud issues. In Colombia, safety issues
were a particular concern for women.
Security concerns
(e.g. handset theft)
Perception of security and harassment

as a barrier
Spam
Niger
87%
78%
India
53%
49%
DRC
Security & harassment

Security concerns
(e.g. handset theft)
Strangers
Mexico
Strangers
44%
36%
36%
25%
22%
34%
23%
28%
Indonesia
Spam
China
Niger
11%
11%
21%
21%
22%
22%
Kenya
India
37%
35%
33%
27%
32%
36%
Colombia
DRC
15%
17%
19%
17%
21%
23%
Mexico
78%
79%
76%
67%
54%
58%
Indonesia
34%
28%
28%
27%
33%
36%
China
63%
60%
69%
66%
56%
66%
Turkey
36%
25%
40%
35%
57%
41%
Kenya
36%
23%
22%
11%
24%
17%
Colombia
87%
78%
74%
65%
63%
67%
Egypt
49%
44%
55%
42%
54%
57%
Jordan
53%
22%
58%
23%
59%
65%
Colombia
Turkey
Jordan
Egypt
Turkey
Kenya
Indonesia
WOMEN MEN
Egypt
Jordan
MORE WOMEN (>3%) THAN MEN AGREE OR STRONGLY AGREE
AS MANY WOMEN AS MEN (+/- 3%) AGREE OR STRONGLY AGREE
FEWER WOMEN (<3%) THAN MEN AGREE OR STRONGLY AGREE
men N= 164 to 314
1: Actual question asked was: Now we are going to talk

about some possible reasons that might be preventing you
from using a mobile phone or using a mobile phone more
often or for more varied usages than you are today. Please
tell me the extent to which you agree or disagree with the
following statements: I have security concerns (for example,
handset theft).
Note: Only shows countries where >3% of women than men
agree or strongly agree. Sample sizes for women N= 787 to
862 and for men N= 202 to 238

statements?: I have security concerns (for example,
handset theft); I am/would be contacted by strangers; I
am/would be bothered by advertising SMS and calls.
N= 187 to 314
Security concerns among

women in Colombia
In Colombia, security is a major issue that hinders
women from using mobile to its full potential. Women
tend to experience lack of security even more acutely
than men: 78% of men and 87% of women interviewed
reported security concerns as a barrier to mobile
ownership and use.
Focus group discussions revealed that women and
men were concerned about being a victim of fraud
and were scared of being mugged because of their
mobile phone. As a result, some reported using their
mobile in public only with the hands-free functionality
so their mobile can remain hidden.
We women are more afraid of

getting mugged because of a cell
phone. We dont want to walk around
with an expensive phone, because we
are afraid someone will rob us.
Urban female user, Colombia
If you dont have a hands-free
device, it is dangerous to use a phone
on the street.
At least 68% of female respondents in every sample

country report that they feel (or would feel) safer with
a mobile phone. However, security and harassment
issues are still top-of-mind and were identified as the
third most important barrier faced by both men and
women (Fig. 5.2), regardless of whether they owned a
mobile phone or not.
Respondents who agree or strongly agree that security

concerns (e.g. handset theft) are a barrier to owning or
using a mobile (%) 1
Barrier
Security and harassment is the

third most important overall barrier
There is this offer for very cheap

calls between 12am and 6am: men
have been using it to just try out
different numbers and harassing
whoever it turns out to be especially
if its a woman.
Urban female, Egypt
51
Operator or agent trust

Fig. 5.13
Countries where women report harassment

from strangers as a greater barrier
Respondents who agree or strongly agree that harassment from
strangers is a barrier to owning or using a mobile (%)1
76%
67%
74%
65%
58%
55%
42%
40%
35%
23%
33%
27%
22%
11%
Mexico
Colombia
Harassment is not limited to mobile calls; it can also

occur over mobile internet. For example, focus group
discussions in Jordan and Turkey revealed that women
can also experience harassment from men over
Facebook and WhatsApp, with some women reporting
subsequent constraints on their use of social media,
such as being forbidden to post photos or not being
allowed to have a Facebook account at all.
Jordan
Egypt
Turkey
India
Kenya
WOMEN MEN
1: Actual question asked was: Now we are going to talk about
statements: I am/would be contacted by strangers.
I am not even allowed to put my own

picture on WhatsApp as some people
can save that image.
Rural female, Jordan
Evidence from focus groups in Egypt and Jordan also
reveal that harassment via mobile can even create
tensions in the household if women are suspected
of being willing victims.
Note: Only shows countries where >3% of women than men

agree or strongly agree. Sample sizes for women N= 789 to
862 and for men N= 213 to 312
Key takeaways
Operator/agent trust is the fourth most important barrier overall for women and men.
Women and men usually report similar levels of trust in operators/agents.
Understanding and addressing trust issues can help increase both ownership and usage.
Operator/agent trust is a
concern for both men and women
Fig. 5.14
For the purpose of this report, we define lack of

operator/agent trust as the perceived unreliability
of the mobile operator and/or agent network and
the consequent fear of being deceived.
CASE
STUDY
Innovative mobile services can help women perceive mobile phones as a tool for improving safety
and peace of mind.56
In India, the app FightBack enables users to instantly send an alert in an emergency. By pressing a simple button
(and then confirming), SOS SMS and emails, GPS coordinates, and location maps are automatically sent to preselected contacts. The app has had more than 100,000 downloads and is now available in 22 Indian states and 81
countries worldwide.57
Niger
21%
21%
India
21%
17%
In Colombia, for instance, focus group discussions

suggested that the lack of trust among women
and men may be driven by a perception that
mobile operators could be more transparent
about airtime charges.
DRC
20%
21%
Mexico
67%
68%
Indonesia
20%
25%
There is variation between countries in the

segments of women or men that most perceive
operator/agent trust as an issue. For instance,
in some countries, lack of trust appears to be
more of a concern for women and men who do
not yet own a mobile phone, such as Kenya, but
in other countries like Indonesia, owning a mobile
does not appear to make much difference.
China
56%
58%
Turkey
45%
42%
Kenya
21%
17%
Colombia
68% 70%
Egypt
33%
52
Overall, women and men in the same country report

similar levels of trust in operators/agents. Jordan is an
exception, where 40% of female versus 21% of male
respondents reported it as a barrier, and concerns
were more acute among women who had low levels of
education and live in rural areas.
Jordan
40%
36%
21%
1: Shows percentage who

agree or strongly agree with
Q 55. Actual question asked
was: Now we are going to
talk about some possible
reasons that might be
preventing you from using a
mobile phone or using a
mobile phone more often or
for more varied usages than
you are today. Please tell me
the extent to which you agree
or disagree with the following
statements?: Agents or
operators sometimes would
cheat me.
Note: Sample sizes for women
N= 703 to 855 and N= 187 to
306 for men
For more everyday use, services that automatically block unwanted callers have been launched by mobile
operators in several markets and can be particularly appealing to female users. In Egypt, for example, where
mobile phone harassment is one of the main reasons for churn among mobile operators, Mobinil (Orange)
launched its Call Block service in 2012. The service now has over 600,000 users representing some 2% of the
customer base, and Mobinils experience suggests that over 90% of customers are women.
56. At least 68% of female respondents in every sample country report that they feel (or would feel) safer with a mobile phone.
57. TM Forum Digital Humanitarian Award, Tech Mahindra: http://www.tmforum.org/DigitalHumanitarian/16091/home.html
58. Banglalink Emergency: http://www.banglalink.com.bd/en/services/services/information-based-services/banglalink-emergency/
Similar services for feature phone or basic phone owners also exist, such as Banglalink Emergency, which
automatically sends an SMS alert to 3 pre-registered contacts when the user dials a short code. The users
location is also sent to those contacts thanks to GSM technology.58
Operator or
agent trust
Operator/agent trust is the fourth most

important barrier overall, and is a particular
concern for both women and men in certain
countries, such as Colombia, Mexico, and China
(Figs. 5.2 and 5.14).
Mobile services help women feel safe and avoid

harassment: The case of FightBack in India,
Banglalink Emergency in Bangladesh, and Mobinils
Call Block service in Egypt
Perception of agent or operator trust

as a barrier
53
Technial literacy and confidence
Technical literacy and confidence is

usually a greater barrier for women
Technical literacy and confidence tends to be cited as
a barrier more commonly by women than men in our
studys sample countries (Fig. 5.16). This phenomenon
is not just restricted to markets where mobile is
not yet widely available; it is also apparent in more
mature markets. For example, in China, 48% of female
respondents versus 41% of male report not knowing
how to use a mobile phone or the more complex
features on a mobile phone as a barrier.
Key takeaways
Technical literacy and confidence is the fifth most important barrier overall for women and
men, and a particular concern for women, who are typically less educated, less confident
with technology, and have more basic handsets.
Handsets and services that are poorly designed or use an unfamiliar language can be
challenging for women.
Technical literacy and confidence is the fifth most

important barrier overall for women and men in
the surveys (Figs. 5.2 and 5.15), and was raised
spontaneously as an issue in focus group discussions
in all countries.
54
Women who do not yet own a mobile phone are

usually more likely to report technical literacy and
confidence as a barrier than women who do own a
phone. More female borrowers and non-users reported
technical literacy and confidence as a barrier than
female owners in all countries, except DRC, where
there was not much difference; Turkey, where the
sample size was too small to comment; and Niger and
Egypt, where there was no difference in confidence as
a barrier. This difference is most apparent in Indonesia,
where 23% of female owners report not knowing how
to use a mobile phone/the more complex features of
their mobile phone as a barrier compared with 48%
of female respondents who do not yet own a mobile
phone. Similarly, 20% of female owners report trouble
reading/understanding handsets/content as a barrier
compared with 50% of non-owners.
Technical literacy and confidence also appears to be
more of a barrier for men who do not yet own a mobile
phone than for those who do.59
Fig. 5.15
Perception of technical literacy and

confidence as a barrier
Lack
confidence
Technical literacy
Dont know how
to use a mobile/
the more complex
features
Trouble reading
content/language
Barrier
Dont know how
to use a mobile/the
more complex
features
Worried about
making a mistake
and losing money
Trouble reading
content/language
Niger
Worried about
making a mistake
and losing money
Niger
33%
28%
43%
35%
14%
12%
India
34%
23%
32%
24%
38%
31%
DRC
20%
21%
27%
23%
17%
11%
Mexico
35%
36%
33% 40%
57%
62%
Indonesia
28%
21%
26% 20%
29%
21%
China
48%
41%
34%
31%
63% 66%
Turkey
24%
22%
22%
17%
25%
Kenya
27%
24%
30%
21%
28% 20%
Colombia
37%
31%
32%
27%
59% 46%
Egypt
38%
41%
33%
35%
49% 44%
Jordan
29%
19%
30%
14%
42%
19%
19%
The reason women typically report technical literacy

and confidence as a greater barrier than men appears
to be a combination of issues related to both the
customer and the design of the mobile and services,
which are difficult to untangle. This is discussed in
more detail below.
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
MORE WOMEN (>3%) THAN MEN AGREE OR STRONGLY AGREE
AS MANY WOMEN AS MEN (+/- 3%) AGREE OR STRONGLY AGREE
FEWER WOMEN (<3%) THAN MEN AGREE OR STRONGLY AGREE
men N= 164 to 314
Women are often less educated

than men, which contributes to
technical literacy challenges
Fig. 5.17
From the customer perspective, it is widely recognised

that women are likely to be less literate and educated
than their male counterparts across many low- and
middle-income countries.61 This was also observed in
our surveys62 and there appears to be a link between
literacy/education and mobile technical literacy. In
our survey, less educated women were more likely
to report not knowing how to use a mobile phone/
the more complex features of their mobile phone as a
barrier more than highly educated women in 7 of the 11
countries. Less educated women were also more likely
to report trouble reading/understanding handsets/
content as a barrier in 10 of the 11 countries.
83%
80% 80%80%
75% 78% 75%
75%
73%
71%
71%
70%
63%
60%
Mobile phone owners who report they can

use mobile internet without any help
63%
51%
42%
25%
Turkey Mexico Colombia Jordan
Egypt
China Indonesia Kenya
DRC
39%
24%
39%
19%
India
Niger
WOMEN MEN
Note: Sample sizes for women N= 250 to 779
and for men N= 110 to 219
statements?: I dont know how to use a mobile phone/how
to use the more complex features of my mobile phone; I
have trouble reading and/or understanding handsets and/or
content language; I am worried that I would make a
mistake with my mobile phone and lose money.
men N= 192 to 312
59. This occurred in 4 of the 5 countries for which sufficient sample size was available.
60. In 5 countries (India, Niger, DRC, China, and Egypt), more women than men reported needing help to send an SMS; in 2 countries
(Mexico and Colombia), more men than women reported needing help; and in the 4 remaining countries results were similar among
women and men.
61. UNESCO, 2012, World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education,
http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/unesco-world-atlas-gender-education-2012.pdf
62. In all sample countries (except China, Mexico and Indonesia, where the results were similar), female survey respondents were less likely
than men to be able to read and verbally answer a simple question correctly in at least one of the official national languages.
Technical literacy is understood here as a persons

ability to use a mobile handset and the variety of
services available on it to full benefit. Confidence is
defined here as the level of self-confidence a person
has in being able to use a mobile handset and the
services on the handset to full benefit. Confidence
and technical literacy are considered together in this
section as they can be closely related.
Countries where women report

technical literacy and confidence barriers
more than men
India
Women in our sample countries more commonly
reported requiring assistance when using a mobile
phone than male respondents. Whilst most female and
male mobile owners claim knowing how to make a call
without any help, when it comes to being able to send
an SMS, there are some countries where more women
require help than men60 (see Appendix 2). For mobile
internet, more female than male owners reported
needing help in every country except Colombia, Mexico
and Turkey, where women and men both say they
would need similar levels of support (Fig. 5.17).
Addressing technical literacy and confidence challenges can help increase both ownership
and usage among women.
Technical literacy and

confidence is still a barrier,
especially for non-owners
Fig. 5.16
55
There was evidence of this link in the focus group

discussions too, where a common theme across most
countries was that focus groups with lower levels of
education tended not to use higher-end services or all
the functions of their mobile phone because they did
not know how to use them.63 In India, DRC, Niger and
Egypt, for instance, people with lower education levels,
particularly women, often only used their mobile for
calls and some SMS:
handset owners, more men than women in every

country except DRC reported working out how to
use a handset on their own. Fig. 5.18 shows the
responses for a few sample countries.
Village women only know that

the green button is for picking up
phone calls and the red one for
disconnecting the phone.
Rural male, India
From a supply perspective, mobile services and

content are not always designed to meet the needs
of rural, less educated and less literate users, many of
whom are women, and this can constrain adoption.
Women often have more basic handsets than men
(Fig. 5.5), and it might be more challenging for
developers to design intuitive, user-friendly services
for the interface of these handsets compared to
smartphones and more sophisticated handsets.
Research by Grameen Foundation in India, for instance,
shows that multi-step mobile phone menus and the
use of unfamiliar syntax are confusing for rural women.
For example, women in the study were pressing *
instead of # as they could not differentiate between
them, and were not able to correlate answer, send,
and back with the associated soft key on their
handset and press the call connect button below it.66
Women are often less confident

with technology than men
Another demand-side issue is that women tend to be
less confident and more risk-averse than men when it
comes to trying technology, including mobile phones.64
In every country in our survey, for example, more
men than women reported working out how to use a
handset on their own (Appendix 2). In Indonesia and
Egypt, for instance, just over half of female handset
owners reported working it out for themselves, with
their husbands as the most popular alternative,
whereas approximately 3/4 of male handset owners
reported working it out for themselves, with a male
relative or male friend being the most common
alternatives. Even among literate65 male and female
CASE
STUDY
Poorly designed services or

handsets in unfamiliar languages
can be a challenge for women
Improving womens mobile technical literacy:

Swadhaar in India and Connected Womens Mobile
Skills toolkit in Papua New Guinea
Mobile operators can partner with organisations such as NGOs and MFIs (microfinance institutions) to help
women overcome technical literacy issues. Here are two examples:67
The language of handset menus and services also

plays a role in determining uptake and usage,
especially among low-educated women. For instance,
during focus group discussions in India and Indonesia,
some rural, low-educated women reported that
smartphones and apps tend to be in Hindi or even
English; languages with which they were unfamiliar.
In India, Airtel Money has partnered with Accion and Swadhaar, which have a large microfinance
client base and expertise in training end users in finance and mobile money. Accion and Swadhaar have
designed bespoke training material to educate clients on how to manage their finances and use mobile
money, including Airtel money. These include posters, flip charts with cartoon images and stories that
women can relate to. Clients are trained at various stages along the customer journeyto reinforce
messages through repetition whilst not overwhelming the customersand through a special peer
leader programme, in which selected end users are employed to support other end users to be able
to use Airtel Money services independently.
In Papua New Guinea, Connected Women has developed a Mobile Skills toolkit that mobile operators and
other stakeholders can use to help their female customers overcome technical literacy issues. The toolkit
explains key mobile functions such as SMS, mobile money, and bill payment in a contextually appropriate
manner. Given womens low literacy levels in PNG (around 60%), the toolkit draws heavily on visual and audio
resources, and Connected Women partnered with trusted local development and media organisations. This
collaborative toolkit includes a training guide for mobile operators, NGOs, and other organisations looking to
improve womens mobile functionality, and stories and guides for radio/audio content illustrating the value of
different mobile functions in the PNG context.
1. Swadhaar customer education materials illustrate the different functionalities of mobile money
2. Poster from the Mobile Skills toolkit, illustrating the value and functionality of mobile money in Papua New Guinea
BUK BILONG LAINIM
SAVE LONG
MOBILE
YU GAT WARI
LONG MONI?
Fig. 5.18
Who first taught you to use your handset?

Literate handset owners (%)
INDONESIA
53%
I worked it out myself

My spouse
Another male relative
Another female relative
A male friend
A female friend
The agent/shopkeeper
56
58%
74%
22%
4%
9%
8%
10%
6%
1%
7%
4%
0%
1%
1%
0%
0%
KENYA
77%
72%
6%
2%
12%
6%
9%
3%
0%
2%
1%
0%
13%
14%
1%
1%
86%
ASKIM FEMILI LONG SALIM MONI I KAM LONG MiCASH
7%
2%
7%
4%
4%
0%
1%
6%
1%
0%
2%
1%
1%
1%
NA YU KEN
KISIM LONG
LOCAL AGENT
Phone
OPTIONS
MiCash
CLEAR
Enta *678# long

rinim namba.
Answer
1: Transfer Money
2: Deposit-Withdrawal
3: Digicel Topup
4: Pay Bills
5: My Account
6: Balance Check
*678#
ANSWER/REPLY
SEND
Enter Recipient
Mobile
Lukim Transfer
Money em
namba 1. Presim
ANSWER.
Presim 1. Presim
SEND.
ANSWER
CLEAR
4
Presim ANSWER.
Raitim fone
namba na presim
SEND/OK.
Enter PIN
Enter amount in
Toea
71577777
CLEAR
ANSWER
CLEAR
Presim ANSWER.
Raitim hamas
toea bilong salim.
Presim SEND/OK.
Please confirm
money transfer
ANSWER
BACK
6
Presim ANSWER.
Raitim sikret PIN
namba bilong yu.
Presim SEND/OK.
ANSWER
BACK
Sapos yu igat askim yu ken ring long 16789

Connected
Women
63. Although it is sometimes because of cost and not having these features on their mobile.
64. GSMA mWomen, 2013, Unlocking the Potential: Women and Mobile Financial Services in Emerging Markets,
http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/unlocking-the-potential
65. As tested/defined during our survey.
66. Grameen Foundation, 2014, Women & Usability of Mobile Financial Services,
http://www.slideshare.net/grameenfoundation/gf-mm-usabilityresearchindia
67. Both examples are projects funded by GSMA Connected Women Innovation Fund grants.
BACK
Presim ANSWER.
Raitim 1 CONFIRM.
WOMEN MEN
Thank you for

using MiCASH
1: Confirm
2. Cancel
****
1000
Others
CHINA
57
Lukim Toksave
na u pinis nau.
Additional barriers from the customer perspective

Three other barriers emerged from our research, which
overall were reported by women and men as less
important than the 5 major barriers detailed above
(Fig. 5.2 and Appendix 2), but they can be of particular
concern in certain contexts, such as in specific
countries or among certain segments of women:
Agent service and agent access: Issues with agent
service and access are felt relatively more acutely
among certain segments of women and men (e.g., rural
versus urban; less educated versus highly educated),
and this varies by country. In some countries, such as
Jordan and Kenya, agent service and access is more
of a barrier for women than men. Expert interviews
and previous research suggest this may be due to the
fact that women in many settings are more likely than
men to feel uncomfortable interacting with an agent,
who in most cases is male, or intimidated by the shop
environment.68 Additionally, women are often more
time-poor than men and/or spend more time in the
home,69 which can make visiting an agent challenging.
Value: Although lack of valuesuch as not believing
that service or content delivered through mobile
is relevant, or already having alternative means of
communication was not reported as one of the
most significant barriers overall, it was perceived as a
relatively more important issue by women and men

in certain countries, such as Colombia. While women
and men tend to report value as a similar barrier, the
surveys, focus groups, or expert interviews revealed
there are a few exceptions where women (or men)
perceive it as a greater barrier. In Egypt, for instance,
focus groups revealed that some less educated and
rural women saw the benefit of a mobile to those who
are employed or attend college, but did not see what
benefit they would personally derive. Interestingly, lack
of perceived value was one of the important barriers
highlighted in the GSMA 2010 report,70 but appears
to be less of a concern in this current study. It is likely
that as mobile has become more ubiquitous, its value
is now more broadly recognised.
ID: Not having the correct registration and
identification documents to purchase a SIM or use
mobile services was reported as a more important
issue by women and men in certain countries, and
usually among respondents who do not yet own a
mobile phone. In some countries, notably Egypt,71
more women report ID as a barrier than men. Field
observations suggest this may be because they have
less access to the necessary documentation than their
male counterparts, such as a national identity card or
driving licence, or are less likely to be registered as a
homeowner or bill payer. In these circumstances, strict
ID regulation can disproportionately affect women.
Social norms act as hidden barriers that often

influence the more obvious barriers identified
by female respondents in this study. It is widely
acknowledged that in many different settings across
the world, women tend to have a different role and
status than men, less access to education, and earn
lower incomes.72
For example, the social norms in many countries of
girls receiving less education than boys, marrying early,
and becoming predominantly homemakers contributes
to women having less individual income than their
male counterparts and cost being a greater barrier to
mobile phone ownership for women than men.
As illustrated above, social norms are an underlying,

hidden, and often subtle barrier that have a powerful
influence on womens access to and use of mobile
technology, and can explain why women experience
some more commonly cited barrierssuch as cost and
security and harassmentmore acutely than men.
58
Social norms influence womens

mobile purchasing decisions
The social norms around how women and men
make financial decisions in a household, the
appropriateness of men and women interacting with
sales agents of the opposite sex, and community
perceptions of male and female roles, all influence
mobile phone ownership and usage. The following
example from India highlights how social norms
influence womens handset choices and their ability to
refill credit (Fig. 5.19).
Fig. 5.19
India: How social norms influence handset and credit purchases

Handset purchase
Credit purchase
Role played in selecting the handset
SIM owners who bought credit on their own

with no help from anyone in the last 4 weeks
Handset owners (%) 1
SIM owners (%) 2
WOMEN
MEN
100%
18%
Social norms often discourage women

from accessing and using mobile phones
Social norms are an underlying,
hidden barrier to women accessing
and using mobile phones
Social norms are difficult to quantitatively measure,

as they are so ingrained in the everyday life of a
society that respondents may not notice what they
are experiencing is any different. As a result, women
(and men) may report certain barriers around social
norms less often than would be expected. This
might explain the relatively low proportion of female
respondents reporting that their families are (or would
be) uncomfortable with them using a mobile (Fig. 5.2).
61%
41%
89%
10%
Reasons why women need help

(% of female respondents) 3
What are social norms?
The person who pays for my

credit goes to the shop for me
It is not appropriate for me to
go to the shop on my own
Every day around the world, many women face a

variety of discriminatory practices, both conscious
and unconscious, that create preferential treatment
for men and boys in accessing and using mobile
technology. These practices or social norms
considered here as the everyday behaviour, or
expected behaviour, of a specific groupcan vary
68. GSMA Connected Women, 2014, Case study: Dialogs 5 Star Partner Programme: Integrating Women into the Rural Retail Chain; GSMA
Connected Women and MMU, 2014, Reaching Half of the Market: Women and Mobile Money; Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, 2011,
Women Entrepreneurs in Mobile Retail Channels: Empowering Women, Driving Growth.
69. The World Bank, 2012, World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development; Aslihan Kes and Hema Swaminathan,
2006, Gender and Time Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, in C.M. Blackden and Q. Woden (Eds.), Gender, Time Use and Poverty in
Sub-Saharan Africa, World Bank Working Paper No. 73.
70. GSMA, 2010, Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity,
71. In Egypt, 44% of women and 26% of men report that ID is a barrier. Field observations suggest this might be because one form of ID is
required to purchase a SIM and a second is needed to change a tariff plan, and women are less likely than men to possess two different
forms of identification.
72. World Economic Forum, 2014, The Global Gender Gap Report 2014,
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GGGR14/GGGR_CompleteReport_2014.pdf
40%
NONE
72%
19%
CONTRIBUTED
I feel unsafe/uncomfortable
travelling to the agent
I feel uncomfortable interacting
with agents
My family does not want me
to buy credit
I am worried I will make a
mistake or lose money
Agents are far away from
where I live
It is not convenient for me
to go to the shop
I dont know how to buy credit
MADE THE DECISION

Women
Men
I am uncomfortable giving my
phone number to the agent
47%
34%
33%
29%
26%
25%
24%
21%
20%
14%
1: Sample sizes for women N= 468 and men N= 191.

2: Among SIM owners who recharged through scratch cards, e-top-up, or mobile money women: N= 434 and men: N= 174.
3: Only includes Indian female SIM owners who said they need help from a friend, relative, or the agent to recharge N= 252.
Agent service and access,

value, and ID
across countries, and also within countries, such as

between rural and urban areas and across different
ages and ethnic groups. Social norms influence a
persons role, status, empowerment, and access to
education and income in a society, and consequently,
their relationship with mobile technology.
59
Beyond the handset purchasing decision, social norms

around women interacting with agents also affect the
ability of women to buy credit. Female mobile owners
in India are less likely than men to refill credit on their
own (61% of women versus 89% of men) for a number
of reasons, such as feeling that it is inappropriate to go
to the shop alone.
To overcome these social norm barriers in India, Uninor
is using a creative combo-SIM pack and involving
men in reaching women through mobile. As the case
study explains, by targeting male gatekeepers in the
marketing, Uninor is helping men see the value of their
wives having a mobile phone.
Social norms can influence

and control womens mobile
ownership and usage
There was also strong evidence from the focus group
discussions in almost all countries to illustrate how
social norms influence and control womens and girls
ownership and use of their phones (and to a lesser
extent, men as well).
One of the key reasons for this exertion of control,
cited across many countries, was the perception
among both women and men that mobile can be
used to pursue romantic liaisons outside of marriage,
thereby threatening traditional social norms. This is
manifested in different ways in different countries.
Notably, during focus group discussions in Niger, some

women reported that because of jealousy and fear of
adultery, men sometimes change their wifes SIM card
after they get married or do not to allow their wives
to have a phone at all. Male respondents in an urban
group echoed these sentiments:
The main reason for women to get a

phone is to get men. For men, the
main reason is work.
Urban males, Niger
In some other countries, notably Egypt, India and
Jordan, the primary concern is about young women
rather than married women. Indeed, it was reported
as common for young women (but not young men),
particularly in more rural areas, to have their access
and use of mobile monitored and controlled by
their families, who want to protect them from
harassment from untoward admirers or otherwise
control their communication with men outside the
immediate family.
60
Targeting men to reach women with mobile:

The case of Uninor
73
In India, Uninor is piloting a combo-SIM plan product that aims to increase SIM ownership among rural women. Initial research
in the target area revealed that 76% of men, but only 29% of women, use mobile phones. Two paired SIMs are sold together
and its marketing campaign promotes the idea that one of the SIMs will be used by a woman, while the other is to be used by
their husband or another male household member. This combo SIM plan ensures that, out of every two subscribers acquired,
at least one is a woman. Uninor provides various talktime benefits for the paired SIM owners; for example, if the male SIM is
refilled then the female SIM automatically receives an equivalent free refill (and vice versa).
A key element of Uninors strategy is to market the product to men as well as women. Uninor has recruited a network of local
female promoters as retailers to market and sell this product, as it is believed that these women are trusted community
members who have existing relationships with households and can provide helpful post-sales support.
Early evidence suggests that the SIM combo and marketing and distribution approach can be a powerful way to challenge
the social norms preventing women from using a mobile phone, and provides an incentive for men to see the value of female
household members having a SIM of their own. Just five months after launch, sales already represent over 30% of total new
Uninor subscribers, with usage (minutes of use) among SIM owners similar to other subscribers in the target area. Uninor
reports that the project is self-sustaining and is looking to scale up.
CASE
STUDY
Addressing gender-based violence:

The case of HNI Madagascar
74
Fig. 5.20
Opinions on partners checking each

others mobile phone in Niger
It is acceptable for a husband to check the numbers on

his wifes mobile phone.
WOMEN
MEN
86%
79%
It is acceptable for a wife to check the numbers on her

husbands mobile phone."
WOMEN
In DRC, Niger and Colombia, for instance, focus
group discussions revealed that some men, as well as
women, check on their partners mobile usage and
sometimes try to regulate it, as they fear it would result
in extra-marital affairs. This dynamic was also apparent
in survey findings from most countries (Appendix
2), especially in Niger (Fig. 5.20), where men, and
sometimes women too, feel it is more acceptable for
a husband to check the phone numbers on his wifes
phone than for a wife to check the numbers on her
husbands phone.
CASE
STUDY
While the constitution of Madagascar protects women, there is a lack of awareness among Malagasy women of their rights.
3-2-1 is a free on-demand mobile information service provided by HNI and Airtel in Madagascar which provides genderbased violence (GBV) information to listeners, such as what the law says is unacceptable behaviour, and where to seek help.
Fieldwork75 has revealed the positive impact of the 3-2-1 service. Men in focus groups reported learning about the different
types of actions they did not previously realise constituted violence (e.g., emotional, verbal violence), and also reported
behaviour change: they have toned it down. The story of one female interviewee in particular illustrates how the service
can have a powerful impact on social norms. When Georgette, a victim of domestic violence who was unaware of her rights
or GBV resources, discovered the 3-2-1 gender empowerment content, she borrowed her sister-in-laws mobile handset
(her husband had previously destroyed hers in a jealous rage) and made her husband listen to it. She now feels there has
been a change in his behaviour towards her. The violence has not resumed, and he now gives her more freedom to go
out by herselfa change she attributes to the 3-2-1 service they have both listened to. Even her son has remembered the
information: Georgette recounted a time when her son told his father, If you beat Mom, well go to Grandmas, because
the phone lady said we can go.
MEN
73. GSMA Connected Women Innovation Fund grant project.
58%
45%
74. GSMA Connected Women Innovation Fund grant project.

75. Conducted by the GSMA Connected Women team, 2014.
AGREE/STRONGLY AGREE
DISAGREE/STRONGLY DISAGREE
AGREE/STRONGLY AGREE
DISAGREE/STRONGLY DISAGREE
N= 188 to 195
In India, gender disparities in financial autonomy

affect the way women obtain a SIM and handset. Only
19% of female mobile phone owners in India reported
making the handset purchasing decision themselves
compared with 72% of men, and 41% of women had no
role at all in choosing a handset (versus 18% of men).
Moreover, of the 44% of female handset owners who
used their own money or the household budget to pay
for their handset (versus 83% of male handset owners),
61% had to ask for permission to spend this money
on a handset.
Image courtesty of
Garth Cripps / Blue Ventures
61
Systemic barriers: A lack of

gender-disaggregated data
and focus on women
1. A lack of gender-disaggregated data: Data on

female mobile phone access and usage, and on ICT
more broadly, is not widely available or tracked in
many low- and middle-income countries. This data
gap occurs at three levels: individual mobile operator
databases, national government statistics, and
international institutional data and statistics.
2. A lack of focus on women: Mobile operators often
do not focus on female customers and potential
female customers, and policy-makers typically place
a low focus on gender relative to other priorities.
Many mobile operators still lack

access to gender-disaggregated
data and a focus on the female
market
For mobile network operators, it can be difficult

to track gender successfully at the point of sale,
especially in markets where men commonly register
for their wives and daughters, in low-income settings
where agents often operate in very basic facilities and
track registration on paper only, and in unbranded
distribution networks (e.g., mom and pop stores)
where quality control is difficult.
62
Compounding these issues, legacy systems that do

not allow customer registration and usage information
to be harmonised are expensive and difficult to
upgrade. Registration requirements for ownership
may also discourage operators from tracking their
customers better due to burdensome penalties for
inaccurate records. Furthermore, with limited budget,
lack of in-house expertise and short project timelines,
operators rarely place sufficient focus on consumer
Integrating gender statistics on mobile phone access

and usage at the international level is essential.
However, while recent efforts by international
institutions like the ITU show global leadership in
bringing gender issues to the forefront, the lack of
data at the local and national level results in limited
data at the international level as well.
This report has aimed to provide information on

womens mobile phone ownership and usage in
a limited set of countries, as well as a model for
estimating the gender gap in mobile phone ownership
in low- and middle-income countries. However, only by
integrating gender at all three levelsindustry, national
government, and internationalwill we be able to
accurately track progress, develop policies, and launch
mobile services that accelerate womens access to and
use of mobile technology in low- and middle-income
countries over the long term.
insights research. This research is not just helpful for

tracking gender, but also for understanding womens
wants and needs for mobile products and services.
Interest has certainly escalated in the last few years,
but many mobile operators still do not understand
the market value of serving female customers. A lack
of focus and interest is perhaps not surprising given
the absence of quality consumer insights research
and gender-disaggregated data to size the market
opportunity for serving women.
A mobile operators gender data can

be inaccurate
Comparing the gender of customers
recorded on the database of a Sub-Saharan
African operator with the actual gender
of users collected during fieldwork in this
study revealed that 1/3 of its female mobile
customers were inaccurately recorded as
male in its system.
Many policy-makers lack access to

gender-disaggregated data and
do not prioritise gender relative to
other priorities
Policy-makers often misunderstand or are unaware
of the extent to which women do not have access to
or use mobile phones, and the benefits that mobile
ownership can bring to women and society as a whole.
For example, mobile phone penetration statistics
are often presented using connections and do not
account for multi-SIM use, often causing confusion
around the actual number of unique subscribers in
a country. Although some countries are increasingly
integrating ICT statistics into their national surveys
and then into policy, most low- and middle-income
countries do not. And, with little to no data on
gender composition, many people assume most
women and men have mobile phones, so there is
76. Broadband Commission Working Group on Broadband and Gender, Broadband Commission for Digital Development, 2013,
Doubling Digital Opportunities: Enhancing the Inclusion of Women & Girls in the Information Society,
http://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/working-groups/bb-doubling-digital-2013.pdf
In addition to the barriers experienced by the

customer discussed previously, there are also two
key barriers independent of the customer that
arose during expert interviews (see the right hand
side of Fig. 5.1). These systemic barriers relate more
specifically to two important ecosystem actors: mobile
operators and policy-makers.
low awareness and prioritisation of this issue. There

is, for instance, a lack of focus on gender by policymakers in the ICT sector: of the 119 national broadband
plans in place in 2012, only 30 countries included a
gender component.76
63
Recommendations
Recommendations
MOBILE OPERATORS
It is important to recognise that although there is

no silver bullet to overcoming barriers, there are a
number of actions that stakeholders in the mobile
ecosystem could start today that, taken together,
could substantially increase womens mobile access
and usage. In some markets, increasing womens

mobile phone ownership and usage could be the
difference between stable and growing revenues
and shrinking or stagnant revenue growth.
BARRIERS FROM THE CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE

SYSTEMIC BARRIERS
INCOME AND
AFFORDABILITY
The recommendations set out in this report provide

both a clear direction and actionable opportunities
for stakeholders across the mobile ecosystem to
accelerate the uptake of mobile technology by
women in low- and middle-income countries.
The GSMA is committed to continuing to support
mobile operators and other ecosystem stakeholders to
bridge this digital divide by: working with government
and regulators to achieve a regulatory environment
that encourages mobile acceleration for all and
prioritises spectrum for service delivery; collaborating
on programmes to address digital literacy and the
availability of local and relevant content; providing
key research and standardised data; and working
with our donors to further mobiles contribution to
the following areas: mobile agriculture, mobile money,
disaster response, mobile health, and mobile utilities.
COST
SECURITY &
HARASSMENT
OPERATOR/AGENT
TRUST
TECHNICAL
LITERACY &
CONFIDENCE
Analyse the dynamics

of handsets in your
market (e.g., popular
models, basic phone
versus feature phone
versus smartphones,
new versus
secondhand phones).
Build on the
perception of mobile
phones as a tool
to increase safety
for women, by
developing safety
services (e.g., to help
women alert contacts
in an emergency), and
call-blocking services.
Research sources
of mistrust by
conducting consumer
insights research, or
add to existing surveys
(e.g., brand trackers).
Integrate user-centric
design principles
into mobile services,
including consumer
insights research, usertesting, and product
iteration.
Design solutions
based on this to bring
lower-cost handsets
to customers (e.g.,
microloans, repair
services, mobile
marketplace,
partnerships with
low-priced handset
manufacturers).
Introduce more
creative pricing to
appeal to womens
price sensitivity, call
patterns and daily
routines (e.g., creative
tariff plans, innovative
data packages, lowdenomination scratchcards, data pricing
that is bite-sized or ondemand, emergency
credit services).
Develop clear and
transparent pricing,
including warning
reminders, especially
for data charges.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The following tables summarise the most important

recommendations by stakeholder to address the
key barriers.
66
INCENTIVES TO OWN AND USE
USER CAPABILITY
AND DEISGN
Target men in
marketing campaigns
to reach women in
settings where men
commonly make
decisions around
womens access
to mobile.
Provide services that

enable women to
privately recharge
their credit to
minimise risk of
harassment (e.g.,
emergency credit,
private credit refill).
Develop a helpful and

trustworthy agent
network, including
training agents and
recruiting female
agents.
When expanding
the agent network,
consider partnering
with NGOs and other
organisations that
have strong and
trusted local networks.
Develop clear and
transparent pricing,
especially for data
charges.
Integrate features into

service design that
meet the needs of
women who are less
literate, less familiar
with mobile, and use
more basic handsets
(e.g., consider IVR,
icons, pictures,
comic-style stories,
comprehensible
terminology, and clear
user menus with fewer
steps).
Ensure pilots and user
testing of products
and services include
women and those with
lower literacy levels.
Train and incentivise
agents to better help
women navigate
handsets and mobile
services, including
mobile internet and
the credit refill process.
NETWORK QUALITY LACK OF GENDER& COVERAGE

DISAGGREGATED
DATA
Strive to increase
network coverage
and the quality of
the network.
Consider solutions
to improve networks
in rural areas (e.g.,
energy-efficient and
renewable energy
networks in off-grid
regions, and active and
passive infrastructure
sharing).
Conduct consumer
surveys to understand
whether and why
network quality and
coverage is a greater
barrier for women in
your market.
Analyse existing data

but with a gender
lens (e.g., customer
call data, brand
tracker data, customer
satisfaction surveys).
Track the gender
composition of the
customer base and
the differences in
usage between men
and women.
Invest in consumer
insights research
directly or through
experienced partners
to better understand
the wants and needs
of women versus men,
and the different types
of women in your
market.
LACK OF FOCUS
ON WOMEN
Empower an
employee/team to
incubate femalemarket oriented
initiatives, until
they are ready to
be brought into
the mainstream
organisation.
Consider using tried
and tested content
for women from other
markets.
Invest in consumer
insights research
directly or through
experienced partners
to better understand
the wants and needs
of women versus men,
and the different types
of women in your
market.
Encourage an
ecosystem of local
content, products,
and services relevant
to women to drive
adoption and usage.
Consider partnering
with NGOs and
other organisations
that have expertise
in technical literacy
training.
Closing the gender gap in mobile ownership and

usage in low- and middle-income countries can have
substantial benefits to women and society. Increasing
mobile phone access and use can positively impact
economies and provide a valuable tool through which
both public and private services can be delivered
(e.g., G2P payments, mHealth services, and mobile
money). For women, access to mobile phones and
services offers the benefits of feeling connected,
autonomous and safer, the ability to access critical
information and services, and the potential to access
increased employment and education opportunities.
Bridging the gender gap in ownership today would
help an estimated 200 million women gain access to
mobile phones. Ensuring these women own phones,
and that all women in low- and middle-income
countries increase their usage of phones could unlock
an estimated $170 billion market opportunity for the
mobile industry in the next 5 years. However, several
barriers continue to inhibit womens access to and use
of mobile technology.
67
OTHER MOBILE INDUSTRY PLAYERS (HANDSET, VAS, APP CONTENT DEVELOPERS)
POLICY-MAKERS

SYSTEMIC BARRIERS
INCOME AND
AFFORDABILITY
COST
Continue to design
competitively priced
and more durable
handsets (e.g., more
power efficient).
Develop innovative
financing mechanisms
to lower the cost
of handsets (e.g.,
microloans, monthly
instalments).
Develop relevant
services for women
(e.g., mobile money)
so they perceive value
for money in a mobile
phone and mobile
services.
Investigate solutions
to improve borrowers
user experience and
autonomy for those
who will still not
be able to afford a
handset.
Design apps that
update efficiently
to lower data costs.
SECURITY &
HARASSMENT
Build on the
perception of mobile
phones as a tool
to increase safety
for women, by
developing safety
services (e.g., to help
women alert contacts
in an emergency).
OPERATOR/AGENT
TRUST
Not applicable
USER CAPABILITY
AND DEISGN
TECHNICAL
LITERACY &
CONFIDENCE
Integrate user-centric
design principles into
handsets and services,
including consumer
insights research, usertesting, and product
iteration.
Integrate features
into handset and
service design that
meet the needs of
women who are less
literate, less familiar
with mobile, and use
more basic handsets
(e.g., consider IVR,
icons, pictures,
comic-style stories,
comprehensible
terminology, and clear
user menus with fewer
steps).
Ensure pilots and user
testing of products
and services include
women and those with
lower literacy levels.
Offer better userexperience and
features on phones
that help female users
transition to mobile
internet.
Develop interactive
services that engage
women and help them
learn to use a handset
and services, including
mobile internet.
INFRASTRUCTURE

DISAGGREGATED
DATA
Not applicable
SYSTEMIC BARRIERS
INCOME AND
AFFORDABILITY
Track womens
uptake, usage and
experience of services
versus mens (e.g.,
integrate gender
questions into inapp surveys).
Consider sharing
customer data with
other stakeholders
(e.g., mobile network
operators, policymakers).
Invest in consumer
insights research
directly or through
partnersto better
understand the wants
and needs of women
versus men, and the
different types of
female customers in
your market.
LACK OF FOCUS
ON WOMEN
COST
SECURITY &
HARASSMENT
Consider using tried

and tested content
for women from other
markets.
Consider targeted,
subsidised
programmes for
women to get access
to mobile (e.g.,
subsidising handsets).
Reduce or remove
mobile-specific taxes
that exacerbate the
cost barrier.
Launch awareness
campaigns in public
forums and in schools
to draw attention to
harassment of women
via the mobile phone.
Develop legal and
policy frameworks to
address harassment
over mobile phones
and mobile internet.
Invest in consumer
insights research
directly or through
partnersto better
understand the wants
and needs of women
versus men, and the
different types of
female customers in
your market.
OPERATOR/AGENT
TRUST
Ensure policies do
not undermine trust
in agents or mobile
operators (e.g.,
gender-sensitive
registration and ID
requirements).
Specifically integrate
women in pilots and
user testing.
USER CAPABILITY
AND DEISGN
TECHNICAL
LITERACY &
CONFIDENCE
Include mobile and
digital skills in school
curricula, including
primary schools,
to ensure girls are
reached.
Integrate mobile
and digital skills
training for women
participating in
government aid
programmes.
Fund technical
literacy training by
NGOs.
Consider which
services can be
provided to women
via mobile (e.g.,
G2P) to help women
become comfortable
and confident using
mobile technology.
INFRASTRUCTURE

DISAGGREGATED
DATA
LACK OF FOCUS
ON WOMEN
Provide public
subsidies to mobile
operators to facilitate
network expansion in
rural areas.
Allow active
and voluntary
infrastructure sharing
among mobile
operators.
Release sufficient
spectrum (in particular
low frequencies) to
mobile operators at an
affordable cost.
Consult with industry
on regulation and
policy-making to
give operators the
necessary confidence
to plan investment.
Integrate gender into

national broadband
plans.
Track mobile access
and use by gender,
along with other ICTs,
in national statistics
databases.
Foster entrepreneurial
ecosystems for mobile
products and services
(e.g., accelerators,
incubators).
Advocate and support

efforts to increase
network quality and
coverage for women
in low- and middleincome countries.
Support international
efforts to standardise
gender statistics
in ICT.
Encourage the
collection of
gender data at
the national and
international level
by funding, providing
technical assistance,
and facilitating
partnerships.
NGOs should consider
partnering with
mobile network
operators and
governments to
provide data and
insights into women
and mobile.
Foster entrepreneurial
ecosystems for mobile
products and services
(e.g., accelerators,
incubators).
Facilitate content
sharing across
different regions and
between the social
sector and private
sector.
Provide funding
for programmes to
address ownership
and usage gaps.
Conduct research to
better understand
why women can
perceive network
quality and coverage
to be a greater barrier
than men and share
findings with policymakers and industry
stakeholders.
Continue to advise
and support efforts
to generate genderdisaggregated
statistics.
Expand research in
low- and middleincome countries
on womens mobile
use versus men, in
addition to mobile
access, and share
stakeholders.
Continue to assess
the impact of mobile
(including mobile
internet) on women
in low- and middleincome countries, and
share findings with
policy-makers and
industry stakeholders.
Conduct research on
the most effective
content-localisation
methodologies and
the most relevant
content for local
women in particular
markets, and share
findings with industry
stakeholders.
DONORS AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

Support affordability
efforts to increase
access (e.g., Alliance
for Affordable
Internet).
Consider targeted,
subsidised
programmes for
women to get access
to mobile (e.g.,
subsidising handsets,
microloans).
Launch public
awareness campaigns
to draw attention to
harassment of women
via the mobile phone.
Provide research
and additional
insights into issues
around security and
harassment on mobile
for women in lowand middle-income
countries.
NGOs should consider

whether beneficiaries
or trusted local NGO
staff would benefit
from becoming
agents for mobile
operators.
Fund mobile technical

literacy training for
women across multiple
country programmes.
Encourage national
governments to
include technical
literacy training for
women on their ICT
agenda.
Consider partnering
with NGOs and
other organisations
who have expertise
in technical literacy
training.
68
Continue to research
and document
the income and
expenditure patterns
of women in lowand middle-income
countries, and share
findings with industry
stakeholders.
Assess womens
key concerns
about security and
harassment on mobile
and share findings with
policy-makers and
industry stakeholders.
Research how women

and men perceive and
interact with agents
and mobile operators
in low- and middleincome countries, and
share findings with
mobile operators.
Expand research
on the technical
literacy barriers to
using mobile internet
and other important
value-added services
for women in lowand middle-income
countries, and share
stakeholders.
ACADEMICS AND RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS
69
Turkey
China
Jordan
Egypt
Mexico
India
Niger
Colombia
Kenya
Indonesia
DRC
70
The following section provides a more in-depth look at the countries

in which primary field research was conducted for this report. These
country profiles provide an overview of the opportunities and barriers
to mobile ownership and usage by women as well as actionable
recommendations for stakeholders.
Country profiles
71
Country profile
information sources
Mobile market
Refers to information sourced
elsewhere on this page or
previous page.
Social norms
around mobile
Based on findings from
fieldwork and information
sourced elsewhere on this
page or previous page.
Based on reported
SIM ownership data
from fieldwork
GENDER GAP VS. AVERAGE

Low: under 10%
Medium: 10% to 20%
High: over 20%
Gender equality ranking: ranking

on the World Economic Forums
Gender Gap Index, 2014
Unique subscribers are defined as Total

unique users who have subscribed to
mobile services at the end of the period,
excluding M2M. (source: GSMA Intelligence)
Population data source is the World Bank Health

Nutrition and Population Statistics: Population
Estimates and Projections, 2014.
Incremental, cumulative 5-year (2015-2020) revenue opportunity in USD above current (GSMA Intelligence)
forecast of bridging the gender gap in ownership and usage.
Revenue opportunity estimate by Altai Consulting is based on GSMA Intelligence ARPS1 data and field
research. Refer to the Methodology Annex on the Connected Women website for a more detailed
description of the methodology.
Formal labour participation:

labour force participation of
population over age 15 who are
economically active (source:
World Bank, 2012)
Obtain a SIM & handset
Obtain credit
Use
Role that handset

owners played in
selecting their
handset (%)
SIM owners who bought

credit on their own with
no help from anyone in
last 4 weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report sending
an SMS/using mobile
internet (%)
Actual question asked was:

What role, if any, did you play
in selecting your handset?
N= 345 to 807 for women and
N= 124 to 234 for men, depending
on the country
Base population: SIM owners who have

refilled credit in the past 4 weeks using
scratch card(s), electronic top-up, or
mobile money
Actual question asked was: In the
past 4 weeks, who refilled your credit
balance on all the SIMs that you own?
Bridging the usage gap: figure includes estimated revenues from 1) Gradually increasing female ARPS to align
with overall ARPS by 2020; 2) Increasing ARPS from new female users bridging the ownership gap.
Assumption is that new female mobile phone owners contribute 50% of existing female users ARPS.
N= 316 to 725 for women and N= 107 to

213 for men, depending on the country
Bridging the ownership gap: figure includes estimated revenues from gradually increasing the percentage
of female phone owners to match the number of male phone owners by 2020.
2. Compound annual growth rate.
Current ARPS1: source:

GSMA Intelligence, Q3 2014
Growth: CAGR2 of average
revenue per user from Q2
2009 to Q2 2014 (source:
GSMA Intelligence ARPU
by subscriber forecasts)
Stages of mobile access and usage
Includes those who answered: I have

refilled my credit at an agent(s) on my
own (without any help from anyone)
or I have refilled my credit through
mobile money on my own (without
help any from anyone). For China,
online replaced mobile money.
1. Average revenue per subscriber.
3G penetration: percentage of
connections that are 3G (source:
GSMA Intelligence, Q3 2014)
Male-female split of unique subscribers was

estimated from primary research on reported
SIM ownership.
Base population: handset owners
Unique subscriber penetration:

number of unique subscribers
(source: GSMA Intelligence, Q4
2014) divided by the total population
(source: World Bank Health Nutrition
and Population Statistics: Population
Estimates and Projections, 2014)
Growth: CAGR2 of unique subscribers
from Q4 2009 to Q4 2014 (source:
GSMA Intelligence forecasts)
Graph shows proportion of the population

who are unique subscribers.
5 YEAR REVENUE OPPORTUNITY
72
3G
Market share of top 3 mobile

operators: source: GSMA
Intelligence, Q3 2014
UNIQUE SUBSCRIBER PENETRATION
GDP/capita: data is in current

US$ (source: World Bank, 2013)
Growth: CAGR2 of GDP from
2010-2013 (source: World Bank).
Data in constant 2005 US$
Base population: SIM owners

Actual questions asked were: When
did you last use a mobile to send an
SMS? and When did you last use
the internet on a mobile?
Includes those who answered
yesterday, in the past 7 days,
in the past 30 days or more than
30 days ago. Excludes those who
answered never.
For SMS, N= 330 to 807 for women
and N= 133 to 234 for men,
depending on the country
For mobile internet, N= 330 to 807
for women and N= 133 to 234 for
men, depending on the country
Please refer to the Methodology Annex on the Connected Women website for a more detailed description
of the methodology used in this study.
GENDER GAP IN OWNERSHIP
Population: total population

(source: World Bank, 2013)
Rural: percentage of total
population that is rural
(source: World Bank, 2013)
73
India
With a population of over 1.3 billion and a gender gap of 36%, the second
highest of our focus countries, India has an estimated 114 million fewer
women than men owning a mobile phone. Bridging the ownership gap
should therefore be made a priority and represents a significant revenue
opportunity. With Indias large population, reaching the remaining
unconnected women should also be a focus for mobile stakeholders.
612
655
Total
population (m)
72%
57%
Unconnected
population
36%
India is the second largest telecom market globally

and growing rapidly. Yet, with a unique subscriber
penetration of 36%, the market is still largely
unconnected. The gender gap in ownership is high:
an estimated 28% of women versus 43% of men
own a mobile. Mobile usage is basic, and only 9% of
all connections are 3G. Indias ARPS2 is one of the
lowest in the world. With 13 mobile operators, India
is an incredibly competitive market.
HIGH
28%
43%
Gender disparities in India are relatively strong and

pervasive and affect womens access and use of
mobile. Limited resources compounded with social
norms often mean that the men of the household
are the first to get a mobile phone. Many women
also only borrow mobile phones. Lower access
levels, monitoring of usage, and lower literacy levels
all affect womens ability to use mobile.
3G penetration:
9% of connections
are 3G
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
23% Airtel
19% Vodafone
15% Idea Cellular
Current ARPS2: $5
Growth: 9% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 114 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
81% for men,
29% for women
Obtain credit
Use
Role that handset owners

played in selecting their
handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
WOMEN MEN
67%
WOMEN
MEN
41%
MALES
Unique subscriber
penetration: 36%
Growth: 18% CAGR3
None
FEMALES
GDP/capita: $1,499
Growth: 6% CAGR3
3G
Social norms
around mobile

Unique
subscriber
penetration1
Population: 1,252m
Rural: 68%
18%
10%
WOMEN
61%
45%
30%
Contributed
74
$17B
Bridging the
ownership gap
Bridging the
usage gap
$10.5B
$6.5B
(62%)
(38%)
1. GSMA intelligence data. Male-female split of unique subscribers was estimated from primary research in-country.
19%
19%
72%
40%
Made the decision
MEN
89%
Sending
an SMS
When making mobile purchases, Indian
women have low levels of financial
autonomy and decision- making power:
only 19% of female handset owners
reported choosing their own handset, and
only 44% used their own money or the
household budget to pay for it. Of those,
61% had to first ask permission.
The main reasons why women dont buy

credit on their own include feeling unsafe
or inappropriate, not being in control
of finances, and feeling uncomfortable
interacting with agents.
Using mobile
internet
Gender disparities in mobile internet use

are highest in urban areas: 35% of urban
male SIM owners said they used mobile
internet in the last 7 days versus just 11%
of urban female SIM owners.
India
Mobile market
75
India
We are not educated

so we dont know
how to use it and are
afraid of using the
wrong button.
Barriers to mobile access and usage

Respondents who agree or strongly agree that this barrier prevents them from owning or using a mobile phone (%)4
50%
45%
45%
39%
36%
35%
35%
34% 33%
29%
25%
26%
21%
16% 17% 15% 17% 16% 14%
Handset
cost
SIM
cost

27% 28%
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
Value
Family
Security &
uncomfortable harassment
20%
18% 17%
17%
12%
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
10%
ID
12%
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
TECHNICAL LITERACY
& CONFIDENCE
NETWORK QUALITY
& COVERAGE
Handset cost is the main barrier

for both Indian men and women,
but especially women:
Technical literacy is a greater

barrier for Indian women than men,
with 34% of female respondents
(vs 23% of men) reporting that
not knowing how to use a mobile
properly is a barrier.

impacts Indian women in both
urban and rural areas more than
Indian men. 47% of rural women
and 40% of urban women report
this as a barrier.
Men have the latest touchscreen

phone whereas women only have
basic mobile phones.
Rural female, India
Handset cost is an equally

important barrier for men and
women from poorer households,
whereas 46% of women and 36%
of men from wealthier households
report it as a barrier.
76
Credit cost is also an important

barrier, particularly for women
from poorer households, where
47% rate it as a barrier compared
with 40% of men.
Low literacy can also limit usage,

with 38% of low-educated women
(vs 25% of men) reporting trouble
reading and understanding their
mobiles as a barrier.
A lack of confidence can also
often prevent women from trying
to use a phone:
In some places, there

is no network.
- Urban female user, India
When there is no network
and we cant leave the place, we
have to find another connection
with another SIM card.
- Urban female user, India
We are not educated so we dont

know how to use it and are afraid
of using the wrong button.
4. For the purpose of clarity, percentages for the following barriers have been calculated by taking a simple average from across
sub-barriers: Value, Security & harassment, Technical literacy & confidence and Agent service; see Appendix 2 for
responses to all individual barriers.
Opportunities and recommendations

Mobile stakeholders in India should focus primarily on bridging the countrys wide gender gap in mobile
ownership and reaching the remaining unconnected women, and secondarily on the usage gap. This will
involve addressing barrier including cost, network quality and coverage, technical literacy and confidence,
and the strong influence Indias social norms have on womens access to mobile.
Initiatives to overcome the cost barrier include introducing more competitively priced and subsidised
handsets, handset credit models, and lowering taxes on handsets and servicesthat have a tangible socioeconomic benefit. For those still unable to afford a handset,industry should investigate solutions to
improve a borrowers experience.
Men should also be involved when targeting marketing or technical literacy training programmes to women
as they often influence womens mobile access and purchasing decisions.
Designers of mobile services should include local languages where possible (and not only Hindi or English),
and consider icons, pictures, apps that require only numeric inputs, and IVR to better serve illiterate women.
Solutions to serve Indias large rural population (68%) with a quality network should be considered (e.g.,
active or passive infrastructure-sharing among mobile operators, energy-efficient and renewable energy
networks in off-grid regions), and operators should focus on improving network quality more generally.
CREDIT COST
& HANDSET COST
77
China
Chinas huge population (1.4 billion) but small gender gap in mobile
ownership means that mobile operators should focus on the remaining
unconnected female market, as well as equalising usage among existing
female and male users, particularly for mobile internet and other more
sophisticated services. The revenue opportunity of bridging the usage
gap is considerable.
660
710
Total
population (m)
52%
51%
Unconnected
population
1%
China is the worlds largest mobile market in terms

of unique subscribers. The gender gap is small in
percentage terms around 1% yet bridging it
represents a substantial opportunity, as it means
connecting an additional 3 million women. The
market is maturing with a high ARPS2, 37% of all
new connections 3G, and 3% 4G. Although there
are three operators, China Mobile controls 63%
of the market.
LOW
49%
Compared to other countries studied, differences

in the way men and women use mobile are small.
Women typically have a high level of autonomy
in obtaining a SIM, handset, and airtime. However,
women are more likely to be inhibited by a lack of
technical literacy and are less likely to use mobile
internet or download an app than men.
MALES
78
$53B
Bridging the
ownership gap
$1B
(2%)
Bridging the
usage gap
$52B
(98%)
3G penetration:
37% of connections
are 3G
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
63% China Mobile
23% China Unicom
14% China Telecom
Current ARPS2: $19

Growth: 1% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 87 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
78% for men,
64% for women
Unique
subscriber
penetration1
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
14%
7%
None
Contributed
80%
Unique subscriber
penetration: 49%
Growth: 9% CAGR3
WOMEN
FEMALES
GDP/capita: $6,807
Growth: 8% CAGR3
3G
Social norms
around mobile

48%
Population: 1,357m
Rural: 47%
MEN
10%
5%
WOMEN MEN
92%
85%
80%
71%
WOMEN
76%
85%
Made the decision
MEN
85%
Sending
an SMS
Women have a high level of financial
independence with mobile: 90% of
female handset owners paid for it with
their own money.
Women are more likely to have their SIM
registered in someone elses name (21%)
than men (15%).
Primary reasons why women do not

buy credit on their own include being
worried about making a mistake and
losing money or the inconvenience of
going to the shop (e.g., inconvenient
opening hours, too far away).
Using mobile
internet
Male and female voice and SMS usage

are similar across segments.
Gender gaps exist in more sophisticated
levels of usage: 54% of female mobile
owners reported having downloaded
an app versus 70% of males. This gap
exists even among higher-income
urban segments.
China
Mobile market
79
China

63%64%
53% 53%
50%49%
32%
36%
32%
39%
36%
24%
48% 46%
43%
40%
44%
40%
34%33%
30% 31%
17%
Handset
cost
SIM
cost
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
Value
Family
Security &
There are too many

harassing calls, or sales
calls to be exact.
56%58%
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
26%
20% 19%
ID
Rural female user, China
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
SECURITY & HARASSMENT
OPERATOR OR AGENT TRUST
Credit cost is an issue for both

men and women, with 53% citing
it as a barrier.
Security and harassment is a major

concern for Chinese respondents,
with 63% of women and 64% of
men citing it as a barrier.
Both women and men report a

lack of operator or agent trust as
an important barrier.
Interestingly, this is a particular

concern for women who are from
wealthier households or more
educated. This may be due to
the cost of data associated with
smartphone use.
In focus groups, many women and

men complain specifically about a
lack of value for money or fairness
in the way they are charged for
data usage.
80
In focus groups, many complain

about being contacted repeatedly
by salespersons:
There are too many harassing

calls, or sales calls to be exact.
Women who are more educated

or from wealthier households are
more likely to voice this concern.
For example, 71% of highly
educated women report fears
over operators or agents cheating
them as a barrier, compared with
64% of men, and 50% of less
educated women.
Fraud is also often raised as a

concern, with fears of outsiders
accessing personal information
stored on mobiles or hacking
online payment accounts:
What if my money disappears?

Should I call the police? Could
I get my money back?

Mobile stakeholders in China should focus on targeting the unconnected female market, and bridging the
gender gap in usage - particularly for mobile internet and other more sophisticated services - by addressing
key barriers such as cost, fears related to harassment, fraud, and being cheated, and technical literacy for
more sophisticated services.
Mobile operators should create innovative data bundle packages to appeal to those who are more
price-sensitive, incorporating the latest apps and services that women find appealing, and ensure that
pricing is clear and transparent.
Chinese womens use of more sophisticated services could also be encouraged through making training
modules available through mobile internet.
Designers and providers of mobile services should ensure the potential for fraudulent activity is
minimised, and reinforce customer trust through the agent network or other sales channels.
Mobile operators should offer services that block/deter unwanted calls, SMS, and spam received over
mobile. Operators should also consider tracking and suppressing phone numbers used by aggressive sales
services or fraudsters.
CREDIT COST
81
Indonesia
Indonesia
Mobile market
With a population of 250 million and a gender gap of 10%, Indonesia

has an estimated 5 million fewer women than men owning a mobile
phone. Opportunities exist to bridge this gender gap, reach the
remaining unconnected women, and bridge the usage gap in more
sophisticated mobile services.
Population: 250m
Rural: 48%
Indonesia has one of the largest mobile markets

in the world, and unique subscriber penetration of
40%. The gender gap in mobile ownership is 10%,
which translates into 5 million fewer women than
men without a mobile phone. The mobile market
is maturing, with 32% of all connections 3G. ARPS2
has declined in recent years, partly due to cheaper
tariffs in a competitive market of eight operators.
3G
Unique subscriber
penetration: 40%
Growth: 11% CAGR3
Social norms
around mobile
127
62%
57%
10%
MEDIUM
43%
Unique
subscriber
penetration1
MALES
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
WOMEN
22%
FEMALES
Formal labour
participation:
84% for men,
51% for women

38%
Current ARPS2: $8
Growth: -2% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 97 out
of 142 countries
Total
population (m)
Unconnected
population
3G penetration:
31% of connections
are 3G
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
46% Telkomsel
19% XL Axiata
18% Indosat
While gender disparities are not as pronounced as

is in some countries studied, Indonesian women still
face issues around lower economic participation
and lower education. These factors can affect their
ability to obtain and use a mobile, especially for
126
GDP/capita: $3,475
Growth: 6% CAGR3
13
96% 98%
MEN
None
15%
8%
WOMEN MEN
WOMEN
71%
58%
Contributed
41%
77
82
$4B
Bridging the
ownership gap
Bridging the
usage gap
$1B
$3B
(23%)
(77%)
Made the decision
MEN
75%
Sending
an SMS
Women have less financial autonomy
than men when it comes to handset
purchase: 95% of men and 73% of women
used their own money or the household
budget to buy their handset. Of those,
28% of men and 43% of women had to
first ask permission.
A similar proportion of Indonesian women

and men recharge credit on their own.
The main reasons why women dont buy
credit on their own include agents located
too far away, not being in control of
finances, and being afraid they will make a
mistake and lose money.
Using mobile
internet
Women lag behind men in use of more

sophisticated services: they are less likely
to have used mobile internet and VAS, and
use them less frequently.
Gender differences in mobile internet use
exist in both rural and urban areas: 45% of
urban women vs 61% of urban men report
using mobile internet.
65%
83
Indonesia
I have the problem

with the signal. I kept
losing it. Sometimes it
just disconnects in the
middle of a call.

Respondents who agree or strongly agree that this barrier prevents them from owning or using a mobile phone
(%)4
50%
47%
40%
37%
32%
28%
19%
Handset
cost
25%
16% 16% 17% 15%
14%
16%
SIM
cost
32% 30%
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
Value
20%
27% 28%
28%
21%
19% 17%
14%
12%
Family
Security &
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Urban female user, Indonesia
17%
Agent
service
13%
ID
14%
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
Handset and credit cost is an

important barrier for Indonesian
women and men, particularly
those in rural areas or who do not
yet own a mobile phone: 60% of
female borrowers and non-users
report handset cost as a barrier.
A high cost of credit can limit
usage. 28% of female owners
(and 25% of male) cite credit
cost as a barrier:
My friend intended to use the

Internet on her mobile but once
she found out that she had to pay
around Rp50,000-100,000 then
she decided to go to an Internet
caf for only Rp2500 an hour.
Rural female, Indonesia
84
TECHNICAL LITERACY
& CONFIDENCE
NETWORK QUALITY
& COVERAGE
Technical literacy and confidence

is more of an issue for women
than men, with 28% of female
respondents (vs 21% of men)
reporting that not knowing how to
use a mobile properly is a barrier.
Similar proportions report fears of
making a mistake on their mobile
and losing money as a barrier.

is the greatest barrier reported
by both women and men in
Indonesia. In rural areas, 53%
of women and 51% of men
perceive this as a barrier.
Indonesian women are also more

likely than men to need help using
mobile internet and learning to
use their mobile. 74% of men
report working out how to use
their handsets on their own, vs
only 53% of women, who usually
relied on their spouse for help.

is also a concern in urban areas,
where 48% of women and 43%
of men cite it as a barrier.
I have the problem with

the signal. I kept losing it.
Sometimes it just disconnects
in the middle of a call.
- Urban female user, Indonesia

Mobile stakeholders in Indonesia should focus on bridging the countrys gender gap in mobile ownership,
reaching the remaining unconnected women, and bridging the usage gap for more sophisticated services.
This will involve addressing key barriers such as network quality and coverage, cost, security and harassment
concerns (e.g. fraud), and technical literacy and confidence.
A priority should be to identify solutions to serve Indonesias geographically fragmented population with a
quality network (e.g., active or passive infrastructure-sharing among mobile operators, energy-efficient and
renewable energy networks in off-grid regions), and operators should focus on improving network quality
more generally, including in urban areas.
Initiatives to overcome the cost barrier include introducing handset credit models, repair services, and
innovative data bundle packages to appeal to those who are more price-sensitive.
Indonesian womens technical literacy, confidence, and use of more sophisticated services could be
encouraged by making training modules available through mobile internet, including mobile and digital skills
in school curricula, and by mobile operators training and incentivising agent networks or partnering with
NGOs and other organisations.
Mobile operators should also offer services that block/deter unwanted calls, SMS, and spam received
over mobile, and consider tracking and suppressing phone numbers used by aggressive sales services
or fraudsters.
HANDSET & CREDIT COST
85
DRC
DRC
Mobile market
DRCs mobile market remains largely unconnected and suffers from a

33% gender gap in mobile ownership. Mobile stakeholders should focus
primarily on bridging the countrys wide gender gap in mobile ownership
and reaching the remaining unconnected women, and secondarily on
addressing the usage gap.
35
34
76%
64%
Total
population (m)
33%
Unconnected
population
DRC is a largely unconnected market, with only

30% unique subscriber penetration. The gender
gap is an estimated 33%, translating into 4 million
fewer women than men without a mobile phone.
Usage is mostly basic (only 8% of connections
are 3G) and ARPS2, currently at $6, is declining
at a rate of 4% per year. The market is highly
competitive with seven operators, two of which
together control over half the market.
HIGH
24%
FEMALES
36%
Women usually lack autonomy with mobile, with

fewer women than men playing a role in selecting
their handset or purchasing it themselves. Women
are also less likely to pay for their own airtime.
Control of womens mobile phone usage is also
relatively high, with some husbands fearing their
wives are being led astray by other men.
Unique subscriber
penetration: 30%
Growth: 21% CAGR3
3G penetration:
8% of connections
are 3G
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
29% Vodacom
27% Airtel
15% Africell
Current ARPS2: $6
Growth: 4% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: N/A
Formal labour
participation:
73% for men,
71% for women

Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
WOMEN
None
13%
WOMEN MEN
78%
MEN
42%
MALES
GDP/capita: $484
Growth: 6% CAGR3
3G
Social norms
around mobile

Unique
subscriber
penetration1
Population: 68m
Rural: 59%
13%
11%
63%
WOMEN
75%
33%
Contributed
76
86
$968M
45%
Bridging the
ownership gap
Bridging the
usage gap
$549M
$419M
(57%)
(43%)
Made the decision
19%
MEN
76%
Sending
an SMS
Fewer women than men have a role in
selecting or purchasing their handset.
A similar proportion of Congolese women

and men recharge credit on their own.
41% of female handset owners

(vs 55% of men) went to the shop to
buy their own handset.
However, women still rely on others to

pay; only 55% of female SIM owners (vs
85% of men) say they usually use their
own money to top-up.
Of women who paid a fee for their

handset, only 55% used their own money
to pay for it (vs 88% of men).
Using mobile
internet
Other than voice, differences in mens

and womens usage persist at every level,
including SMS and mobile internet use.
Disparities between women in rural and
urban areas are very small at basic levels
of use, but much more pronounced in
mobile internet and app use.
87
DRC

44%
42%
35%
39%
28%
23% 23% 22%
14%
15% 15%
12%
18% 19%
20% 21% 21%
23%
18%
16% 17%
26%
18% 17%
8% 9%
N/A5 N/A5
Handset
cost
SIM
cost
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
Value
Family
Security &
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
ID
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
Charging a phone
costs 300 FC and we
havent had electricity
for three weeks.
Rural female user, DRC
Handset cost is a concern for

women, particularly those from
rural areas or poorer households.
53% of rural women, for instance,
report this as a barrier compared
to 40% of rural men.
Cost, rather than lack of value,
is the key issue, as very few
women (14%) report lack of
need for a phone as a barrier.
This was corroborated by
women in focus groups:
I have a neighbor who borrows

my phone every day to call her
husband because she doesnt
have enough money to buy a
phone, even the cheapest one.
Urban female, DRC
88
BATTERY CHARGING
ACCESS & COST
NETWORK QUALITY
& COVERAGE
In DRC, both access to

charging facilities and the
cost of charging are key
barriers for women and men.
Network quality and coverage is

an issue for both women and men,
particularly in rural areas where
48% of women (and 41% of men)
report this as a barrier. Women
sometimes go to great lengths
to find a signal:
This is a particular concern for

both rural and urban men, and
for rural women. For instance,
27% of rural women report
access to charging as a barrier
vs 17% of urban women.
These concerns were echoed
in focus groups:
Charging a phone costs 300 FC

and we havent had electricity for
three weeks.
Rural female user, DRC
If the network doesnt work, Ill

go to a mountain to make a call.
- Rural female, DRC
is also a concern in urban areas,
where 30% of women cite this
as a barrier:
Poor network quality is

another problem. Sometimes
when you want to call someone,
you have to wait ten minutes
before getting through even
though the phone youre calling
is switched on.
- Urban female, DRC
5. ID barrier question was not asked in DRC because at the time of the research, requirements for registration were unclear and,
in practice, ID is rarely required to buy a SIM.

Mobile stakeholders in DRC should focus primarily on bridging the countrys wide gender gap in mobile
involve addressing key barriers such as handset cost, network quality and coverage, and a limited charging
infrastructure, whilst acknowledging the role social norms play in influencing womens access to mobile.
Initiatives to overcome the handset cost barrier include introducing more competitively priced and
subsidised handsets, partnerships between mobile operators and low-priced handset manufacturers,
handset credit models, repair services, and lowering taxes on handsets.
Men should be involved when marketing to women as they often influence womens mobile access and
purchasing decisions.
To help reach DRCs large rural population (59%) with a quality network and an accessible and affordable
charging infrastructure, active or passive infrastructure-sharing among mobile operators should be
encouraged. Operators should also consider energy-efficient and renewable energy networks, and
equipping their more remote agents with solar-powered charging stations.
Mobile operators should also focus on improving network quality more generally, in both rural and
urban areas.
HANDSET COST
89
Kenya
Kenya
Mobile market
Kenyas relatively small gender gap in mobile phone ownership is likely

due in part to the success of mobile money, providing women and
their families with a clear value proposition for having a mobile phone.
However, opportunities still exist to bridge the remaining gender gap in
mobile ownership, reach the remaining unconnected women, and bridge
the usage gap, particularly for more sophisticated services.
23
23
59%
56%
Total
population (m)
7%
Unconnected
population
Kenya has a fast-growing unique subscriber

penetration and a relatively small gender gap in
mobile ownership of 7%. However, the gender
gap in ownership is much higher among poorer
households (16%). The market remains fairly basic,
with only 14% of all connections 3G, and ARPS2 is
stable at $10. Safaricom has the dominant market
share, followed by Airtel and Orange.
Although Kenyas gender equality ranking on the

WEFs global index is relatively good compared to
our other 10 study countries, it still has a gender
gap in ownership of 7%. A combination of factors,
including lower financial independence and
education levels, can inhibit womens access to and
usage of mobile, particularly at more sophisticated
levels of usage.
LOW
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
67% Safaricom
16% Airtel
9% Orange
Current ARPS2: $10

Growth: 1% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 37 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
72% for men,
62% for women
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
None
30%
MALES
3G penetration:
14% of connections
are 3G
WOMEN
FEMALES
Unique subscriber
penetration: 42%
Growth: 15% CAGR3
Unique
subscriber
penetration1
44%
GDP/capita: $1,245
Growth: 4% CAGR3
3G
Social norms
around mobile

41%
Population: 44m
Rural: 75%
MEN
10%
3%
WOMEN MEN
89% 91%
WOMEN
97%
61%
Contributed
43%
87%
61
90
$961M
Bridging the
ownership gap
Bridging the
usage gap
$165M
(17%)
$796M
(83%)
Made the decision
MEN
98%
Sending
an SMS
Women are less likely than men to
play a role in selecting their handset
and only 58% of women handset owners
report purchasing their own mobile
(vs 75% of men).
Most women report independently
choosing their SIM (72% of female
owners vs 79% of men).
Using mobile
internet
Kenyan women are fairly autonomous

when buying credit.
Overall, SMS use is fairly similar among

Kenyan men and women.
Similar to men, women owners use various

means to buy credit: 98% had used a
scratch card in the last 4 weeks, 65% had
used mobile money, and 62% had received
credit from another person.
However, women are less likely to use

mobile internet, especially among the less
educated: only 33% of lower educated
female owners (vs 52% of men) report
using mobile internet.
91
Kenya
The first challenge was

how to operate the
phone because you
have bought it and
now you have to know
how to use itthis will
take time.
59% 60%
50%
45%
45%
39%
31%
31%31%
17%
12%
Handset
cost
SIM
cost
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
9%
Value
8%
30%
28%
27%
27%
21%
24%
22%
23%22%
26%
23%
17%
17%
12%
5%
Family
Security &
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
ID
Battery
charging
access
Rural female user, Kenya
WOMEN MEN
COST
Women are more likely than men
to report the cost of handsets,
credit, and battery charging as
a barrier. This can prevent some
women from purchasing or
upgrading their mobile phone,
as well as limit everyday use.
92
The charging cost is expensive

especially in the rural areas
where electricity is not in every
householdso most of the
families will not see the need
of everyone owning a phone
and instead only one person
will own one.
Urban female user, Kenya
NETWORK QUALITY
& COVERAGE

is a greater barrier for women than
men in Kenya. Gender disparities
are most apparent among poorer
households, with 43% of women
(vs 28% of men) reporting trouble
reading and understanding their
mobiles as a barrier.

is the greatest barrier reported
by both Kenyan women and
men. This is a concern in urban as
well as rural areas: 53% of urban
women and 54% of urban men
report this as a barrier, compared
to 61% of rural women and 61% of
rural men.
Women are also more likely

than men to need help learning
to use their mobile and with
mobile internet.
The first challenge was how to

operate the phone because you
have bought it and now you
have to know how to use it
this will take time.
Rural female user, Kenya
Network is a problem especially

in the rural area and also in some
buildings here in the city.
- Urban female user, Kenya
It hangs up on its own. You
want to call someone but you
find that it has hung up although
you didnt do anything.
- Urban female user, Kenya

Mobile stakeholders in Kenya should focus on bridging the countrys remaining gender gap in mobile
ownership, reaching the remaining unconnected women, and bridging the usage gap for more sophisticated
services. This will involve addressing key barriers such as network quality and coverage, cost, and technical
literacy and confidence.
Initiatives to overcome the cost barrier include introducing handset credit models, repair services, lowering
taxes on handsets and services that have a tangible socio-economic benefit, and innovative data bundle
packages to appeal to those who are more price-sensitive.
Designers of mobile services should ensure services are user-friendly and meet the needs of women who are
less literate (e.g., consider icons, pictures, clear menus with fewer steps, and IVR).
Kenyan womens use of mobile internet and more sophisticated services could also be encouraged through
training and incentivising agent networks, exploring the viability of making training modules available
through the mobile internet, and by including more advanced mobile and digital skills in school curricula.
Solutions to serve Kenyas large rural population (75%) with a quality network should be considered (e.g.,
active or passive infrastructure-sharing among mobile operators, energy-efficient and renewable energy
networks in off-grid regions), and operators should focus on improving network quality more generally,
including in urban areas.
Battery charging cost can prevent

women from owning a mobile,
particularly in rural areas:
TECHNICAL LITERACY
& CONFIDENCE
93
Niger
A large proportion of the mobile market in Niger remains unconnected,

and the country has the widest gender gap in ownership of all our
study countries. However, women in Niger value mobile, and mobile
stakeholders should focus primarily on bridging the countrys wide gender
gap in mobile ownership and reaching the remaining unconnected women,
and secondarily on addressing the usage gap.
45%
87%
77%
Total
population (m)
Unconnected
population
With a unique subscriber penetration of only

18%, Nigers population is mostly unconnected.
The gender gap in mobile ownership (45%) is the
largest of all countries in this study. The market is
not yet mature, with only 2% of connections 3G.
ARPS2 is low and declining. There are currently four
mobile operators, with the two largest controlling
the majority of the market.
13%
FEMALES
94
$189M
23%
MALES
Gender inequality in Niger is relatively strong

and affects womens access and use of mobile.
A lack of financial autonomy, poor education and
monitoring of usage, all influence womens ability
to use a mobile phone or to own one in the first
place. Many women only borrow mobile phones.
Some men check on their partners mobile usage
and try to regulate it, often because they fear
extra-marital affairs.
$130M
$59M
(69%)
(31%)
3G penetration:
2% of connections
are 3G
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
44% Airtel
35% Orange
14% Moov
Current ARPS2: $5
Growth: 12% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: N/A
Formal labour
participation:
90% for men,
40% for women
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
WOMEN
None
23
WOMEN MEN
56%
MEN
49%
7%
61
Bridging the
usage gap
Unique subscriber
penetration: 18%
Growth: 13% CAGR3
Bridging the
ownership gap
Unique
subscriber
penetration1
GDP/capita: $415
Growth: 6% CAGR3
3G
Social norms
around mobile
HIGH
Population: 18m
Rural: 82%
WOMEN
71%
30%
12%
Contributed
27%
Made the decision
18%
70%
MEN
85%
Sending
an SMS
Most women (61% vs only 23% of men)
said they had no input in the selection of
their handset. 42% received it as a gift and
20% said that it was bought by someone
else on their behalf.
Women are also more likely to have basic
handsets (72% of women vs 58% of men).
The main reasons why women dont

buy credit on their own include not
having control of the finances, agents
that are too far away, or feeling that it
is inconvenient or inappropriate to go
to an agent on their own.
Using mobile
internet
Women lag behind men at all levels

of mobile use, but particularly for
more sophisticated services, such
as mobile internet.
Women lag behind men in usage in both
rural and urban areas, and at all levels of
education and income.
Niger
Mobile market
95
Niger

57%
51% 50%
39%
39% 40%
35%
34%
33%
28%
30%
18%18%
11%
5% 6%
Handset
cost
SIM
cost
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
Value
21% 21%
32%
29%
25%
23%
17% 17%19%
For some, simply

topping-up can be
a difficulty because
of the cost.
28%
23%
8%
Family
Security &
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
ID
Battery
charging
access
Urban female, Niger
WOMEN MEN
TECHNICAL LITERACY
& CONFIDENCE
BATTERY CHARGING
ACCESS
Cost and network quality and

coverage are the greatest barriers
to owning and using a mobile
phone in Niger. These issues are
particularly acute for those in
rural areas. Rural women and men,
for instance, report the cost of
handsets, credit, SIMs and battery
charging as much higher barriers
than urban respondents.
Whilst confidence is reported as a

relatively modest barrier to mobile
ownership and use, technical
literacy is an important barrier in
Niger, and especially for women.
Access to battery charging

facilities for handsets is a
greater barrier for women
and men in Niger than in all
other countries studied.
43% of women and 35% of men

report trouble reading content or
language on mobiles as a barrier,
and this is still high even just
among owners (39% of women
owners vs 29% of male owners).
This concern is predominantly

among rural rather than urban
respondents. 37% of rural women
and 32% of rural men cite access
to battery charging facilities as
a barrier, compared to only 11%
of urban women and 12% of
urban men.
For some, simply topping-up

can be a difficulty because
of the cost.
Urban female, Niger
96
Personally, I have no difficulty

topping-up for calls, but for all
other usage only rich people
can afford it.
Urban male, Niger
Low literacy and education levels

in Niger, particularly among
women, play an important role
in contributing to this issue.
In rural areas people have to face

problems with lack of electricity.
- Urban female, Niger

Mobile stakeholders in Niger should focus primarily on bridging the countrys wide gender gap in mobile
involve addressing key barriers such as handset cost, network quality and coverage, technical literacy, a
limited charging infrastructure, and the strong influence social norms have on womens access to mobile.
Positively, women value mobiles in Niger: 95% of non-users say they would use and regularly top-up a mobile
if given one more than all other countries studied. Operators should build on this opportunity, involving
men when marketing to women as they often influence womens mobile access and purchasing decisions.
Initiatives to overcome the handset cost barrier include introducing more competitively priced and
subsidised handsets, partnerships between mobile operators and low-priced handset manufacturers, handset
credit models, repair services, and lowering taxes on handsets. For those still unable to afford a handset,
industry should investigate solutions to improve borrowers experience.
To help reach Nigers large rural population (82%) with a quality network and an accessible and affordable
charging infrastructure, active or passive infrastructure-sharing among mobile operators should be
encouraged, and operators should consider energy-efficient and renewable energy networks, and equipping
their more remote agents with solar-powered charging stations.
COST AND NETWORK

QUALITY & COVERAGE
97
Egypt
Egypts mobile market has a unique subscriber penetration of 54% and a

small gender gap in mobile phone ownership. However, opportunities still
exist to reach the remaining unconnected women, and bridge the usage
gap, by addressing barriers such as handset cost, network quality and
coverage, and harassment.
42
42
47%
46%
Total
population (m)
2%
Unconnected
population
Egypt has a unique subscriber penetration of 54%

and a small gender gap in mobile phone ownership,
though it is greater among certain segments of the
population. The market is maturing, with 30% of all
connections 3G. Intense competition in the mobile
market has contributed to a decline in ARPS2 in
recent years to a current value of $7. Vodafone is
the market leader, followed by Mobinil and Etisalat.
Although the gender gap in mobile ownership is

small, social norms affect the way Egyptian women
interact with mobile. 40% say their family feels
(or would feel) uncomfortable with them using a
mobile, although this figure is also high for men at
31%. This is likely driven in part by harassing phone
calls from strangers, which over half of women
report as a barrier.
LOW
MALES
98
$949M
Bridging the
ownership gap
$52M
(6%)
Bridging the
usage gap
$897M
(94%)
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
41% Vodafone
34% Mobinil
25% Etisalat
Current ARPS2: $7
Growth: 12% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 129 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
75% for men,
24% for women
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
16%
None
14%
Contributed
16%
4%
WOMEN MEN
95% 93%
MEN
WOMEN
68% 68%
91%
80%
71%
3G penetration:
30% of connections
are 3G
WOMEN
FEMALES
Unique subscriber
penetration: 54%
Growth: 9% CAGR3
Unique
subscriber
penetration1
54%
GDP/capita: $3,314
Growth: 2% CAGR3
3G
Social norms
around mobile

53%
Population: 82m
Made the decision
MEN
93%
Sending
an SMS
Women have less financial autonomy
than men when it comes to handset
purchase: 83% of men and 58% of women
used their own money or the household
budget to buy their handset. Of those,
25% of men and 49% of women had to
first ask permission.
Egyptian women are fairly autonomous

when buying credit.
However, women still rely on others to
pay; only 38% of female SIM owners (vs
75% of men) say they usually use their
own money to top-up.
Using mobile
internet
Usage is more similar among Egyptian

men and women compared with other
study countries.
Women are, in fact, more likely than men
to listen to music/radio.
However, women tend to use SMS and
mobile internet less frequently than men.
Usage gaps are most pronounced among
wealthier households.
Egypt
Mobile market
99
Egypt

80% 80%
75% 74%
38% 36%
Handset
cost
Sim
cost
47%
Battery
charging
cost
48%
40%
34% 35%
Credit
cost
53%
50%
31%
Value
Family
Security &
33%
36%
Operator
or agent
trust
44%
40%40%
Technical
literacy &
confidence
36% 35% 36%37%
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
37%
31%
26%
ID
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
HANDSET COST AND NETWORK

QUALITY & COVERAGE
Handset cost and network quality
and coverage are the greatest
barriers reported by Egyptian
women and men.
Handset cost is a concern even
among higher income households:
87% of women from wealthier
households (vs 77% from poorer
households) cite it as a barrier.
Network quality and coverage is a

large barrier to mobile ownership
and usage: 94% of female nonowners report it as a barrier, and
73% of women owners:
100
For a while now, to get good

coverage we need to go on the
balcony, screaming, so that the
whole neighbourhood hears what
you are saying.
Female user, Egypt
Female user, Egypt
ID
Harassment via mobile and

security concerns (e.g. phone
theft) are key issues for Egyptian
women. 55% of women (vs 42% of
men) report harassing calls from
strangers as a barrier to them
owning or using a mobile.
Access to ID is a concern for

Egyptian women; more so than
for men. 44% of women vs 26%
of men report that ID is a barrier
to owning or using a mobile. Field
observations suggest this might
be because one form of ID is
required to purchase a SIM and
a second is needed to change a
tariff plan, and women are less
likely than men to possess two
different forms of identification.
This issue was frequently reported

in focus groups:
There are men who call me but

say very, very rude things.
Female user, Egypt
Guys if they want revenge
on a girl, they distribute her
number to everyone so she
is forever harassed.
Male user, Egypt
There are men who

call me but say very,
very rude things.
This barrier is a particular issue for

women from poorer households
or who are less educated: 56% of
low-educated women perceive
this as a barrier compared to 32%
of highly educated women and
38% of low-educated men.

Mobile stakeholders in Egypt should focus on reaching the remaining unconnected women and bridging the
usage gap, by addressing key barriers such as handset cost, network quality and coverage, low perception of
value, ID, and fears related to security and harassment.
Industry should take into account that entry-level, low-key, and durable handsets with internet access are
likely to appeal to Egyptian women, enabling them to access mobile internet whilst feeling less afraid to carry
the handset around with them.
Other initiatives to overcome the handset cost barrier (particularly for smartphones) include partnerships
between mobile operators and low-priced handset manufacturers, and lowering taxes on handsets.
Designers and providers of mobile services should focus on relevant services and content that meet the needs
of women (and their families), such as services that block/deter harassing calls/SMS/spam and allow women
to recharge credit remotely and privately. Mobile stakeholders should consider a public awareness campaign/
reporting helpline to address harassment.
Mobile stakeholders should also ensure that ID requirements for owning and using a mobile are gendersensitive and straightforward from the customer perspective (e.g., limit the different types of ID required).
Mobile operators should continually invest to improve network quality and coverage. The National
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority can support by licensing more spectrum to mobile operators
(particularly below 1GHz), streamlining the approval processes for operators to deploy fibre, and encouraging
infrastructure sharing between operators.
47% 49%
101
Jordan
In Jordan, there is a wide gender gap in mobile phone ownership

and some differences in mens and womens use of more
sophisticated services. Bridging the gender gap in ownership
and usage should therefore be made a priority and represents
a significant revenue opportunity.
Jordans mobile market is fairly mature with 39%

of all connections now 3G. However, the gender
gap in mobile ownership is significant: women are
21% less likely than men to own a mobile phone,
and 19% less likely in just urban areas alone. ARPS1
is high at $14, but declining rapidly at 7% per year.
Zain has the largest share of the market (40%),
followed by Orange (31%) and Umniah (29%).
Mobile penetration
data unavailable due
to uncertainties and
fluctuations in Jordans
population, including
complexities arising
from the recent influx
of Syrian refugees.
21%
HIGH
Social norms
around mobile
102
35%
$134M
$192M
(41%)
(59%)

2. World Bank 2013 figure. Current population uncertain due to recent influx of refugees.
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
39% Zain
34% Orange
28% Umniah
Current ARPS1: $13

Growth: 7% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 134 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
67% for men,
16% for women
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
WOMEN
16%
$326M
3G penetration:
39% of connections
are 3G
Contributed
18%
5%
WOMEN MEN
74%
MEN
49%
Bridging the
usage gap
Unique subscriber
penetration: N/A
None
Bridging the
ownership gap
GDP/capita: $5,214
Growth: 3% CAGR3
3G
Ranked near the bottom of the WEFs global

gender equality index, Jordan has relatively high
levels of gender discrimination. Although most
evident outside the capital, Amman, social norms,
such as womens lower financial autonomy and
decision-making power, limit womens access and
use of mobile. Younger women in particular can
have their mobile use curtailed by their families to
avoid inappropriate contacts.
Population: 6m2
Rural: 17%
71%
64%
59%
WOMEN
74%
77%
Made the decision
MEN
95%
Sending
an SMS
Women have little autonomy in the way
they obtain handsets: only 31% of female
owners report purchasing it themselves
(vs 78% of men).
74% of female SIM owners also said the
SIM was not registered in their own name
(vs 40% of men).
Using mobile
internet
Most female owners (74%) are able to

obtain credit on their own.
The usage gap between men and women

is relatively small.
However, this can be an issue for some

women due to not being in control of
finances, feeling that it is inconvenient
or inappropriate to go to an agent on
their own, or feeling uncomfortable
interacting with agents.
Some differences exist in womens and

mens use of mobile internet, which is
most pronounced among higher income
groups: 68% of women from wealthier
households (vs 77% of men) report using
mobile internet.
Jordan
Mobile market
103
Jordan

76%
69%
63%
65%
57%
56%
49%
42%
37%
21%
17%
21%
SIM
cost
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
34%
21%
21%
12%
5%
Handset
cost
40%
31%
36%
26%
17%
17%
3%
Value
Family
Security &
17%
8%
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
9%
4%
ID
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
The network is
very bad even if you
want to make regular
phone calls.
Handset and credit cost is a key

concern for Jordanian women,
and more so than for men. This
difference is more accentuated
among poorer households or
those living in rural areas: 81% of
women from poorer households
(vs 39% of men) report handset
cost as a barrier, and 72%
(vs 57% of men) report credit
cost as a barrier.
Husbands and families usually

pay for womens mobile-related
expenses, which can restrict use:
104
The mobile line is my husbands

so its difficult for me to
download things and share them
with friends.so I am going to
buy a line for me personally.
Urban female, Jordan
NETWORK QUALITY
& COVERAGE
is a concern felt most strongly
by rural respondents and urban
women. 71% of rural women and
74% of rural men report this as a
barrier, compared to 63% of urban
women and 44% of urban men.
The network is very bad even

if you want to make regular
phone calls.
- Rural female, Jordan
Women may perceive network
quality and coverage as a higher
barrier in urban settings due to
mobility constraints. Women
typically spend more time than
men indoors at home, where the
signal is likely to be poorer
than outside.

Security concerns (e.g. phone
theft) and harassing calls are key
concerns for Jordanian women.
53% of women (vs 22% of men)
report security concerns as a
barrier, and 58% of women (vs
23% of men) report harassing calls
from strangers as a barrier.
Focus groups revealed that some
men dial unknown numbers in
order to try to speak with women,
and that women value services
that block/screen numbers:
Sometimes if men dial a wrong

number and a girl picks up, they
might keep on calling her and
bothering her even late at night
when her husband is around and
this is really annoying.

Mobile stakeholders in Jordan should focus on bridging the countrys wide gender gap in mobile ownership
as well as the gap in more sophisticated usage. This will involve addressing key barriers such as cost, network
quality and coverage, harassment concerns, and the social norms that limit womens access to mobile
(particularly younger women).
Initiatives to overcome the cost barrier include introducing more competitively priced handsets and creative
tariff plans/data packages to appeal to womens usage patterns/routines. Jordan has a relatively high level
of mobile-related taxation,5 so policy-makers should lower taxes on handsets and services. These actions will
likely disproportionately benefit women.
Men and other influential family members (e.g. parents of younger women) should also be involved when
marketing to women because they often influence womens access to mobile, purchasing decisions, and use
of more sophisticated services (e.g. social media).
Initiatives to overcome harassment concerns include offering services that block/deter unwanted calls/SMS/
spam and allow women to recharge credit remotely and privately. In addition, mobile ecosystem stakeholders
should consider a public awareness campaign on the harassment issue, with a reporting helpline.
Mobile operators should continually invest to improve network quality and coverage in both urban and
rural areas. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission can help create space for operator investment
by licensing harmonised spectrum (particularly sub-1GHz) on equitable terms, streamlining local approval
processes for network deployment, and encouraging infrastructure sharing between operators.
5. Deloitte and GSMA. Digital Inclusion and Mobile Sector Taxation, 2015.
105
Colombia
Colombia
Mobile market
With a relatively high unique subscriber penetration and a small gender

gap in mobile ownership, issues around access to mobile are less relevant
to women in Colombia than in most other countries studied. However,
opportunities still exist to reach the remaining unconnected women, and
bridge the usage gap, particularly of more sophisticated services, by
addressing barriers such as security and harassment concerns.
25
24
49%
47%
Total
population (m)
3%
Unconnected
population
Unique subscriber penetration in Colombia is

relatively high at 52% and growing steadily. The
gender gap in mobile ownership is limited. The
market remains mostly unsophisticated with only
17% of all connections 3G. ARPS2 is high at $19, and
rising steadily with 4% annual growth. Among the
three Colombian operators, Claro dominates with
59% market share.
LOW
53%
Gender equality
ranking: 53 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
80% for men,
56% for women
Unique
subscriber
penetration1
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
WOMEN MEN
MALES
10%
MEN
None
Contributed
Bridging the
ownership gap
$0.3B
Bridging the
usage gap
$2.7B
(93%)
23%
5%
69%
WOMEN
59%
62%
94%
72%
Made the decision
MEN
94%
Sending
an SMS
Women are less likely than men to go to a
shop and buy their own handset (50% of
female handset owners vs 63% of male),
and more likely to be given a phone as
a gift or obtain it from someone who no
longer needs it.
Women are also more likely to have more
basic handsets.
Using mobile
internet
The vast majority of women purchase

airtime without any assistance and 79%
say they use their own money to pay for
their mobile airtime.
Womens SMS use is usually similar

or greater than mens, but women often
lag behind men at more sophisticated
usage levels.
Women are slightly less likely to use

post-paid: 17% of female SIM owners
vs 21% of male.
Although a similar number of women and

men have tried mobile internet, women
usually use it less frequently.
Women are also less likely to have
used VAS.
106
Current ARPS2: $19

Growth: 4% CAGR3
77%
(7%)
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
59% Claro
25% Movistar
15% Tigo
64%
3G penetration:
17% of connections
are 3G
WOMEN
FEMALES
$3B
Unique subscriber
penetration: 52%
Growth: 3% CAGR3
Women and men tend to interact with mobile

in a similar way. However, there are some
exceptions where the gender gap in ownership
is greater (e.g., among respondents who are older,
or from higher income households), and women
can still face challenges; 28% say their family feels
uncomfortable with them owning or using a
mobile almost twice the number of men.
26%
GDP/capita: $7,831
Growth: 5% CAGR3
3G
Social norms
around mobile

51%
Population: 48m
Rural: 24%
107
Colombia

66%
75%
71%
58%
61%
70%
68%70%
60% 58%
43%
Handset
cost
SIM
cost
28%
24%
19% 19%
17%
Credit
cost
42% 40% 41%

37% 39%36%
35%
Battery
charging
cost
31% 33%
17% 20%
16%
Value
Family
Security &
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
ID
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
I wouldnt spend so
much on a cell phone,
its too dangerous if
you step out on the
street and use it, you
have to hide and you
cant call.
Both men and women commonly

report that the cost of handsets
and credit prevents them from
using mobile.
In Colombia, security and

harassment issues related to
mobile are of prime concern (e.g.,
calls from strangers), particularly
for women. For instance, 87% of
women (vs 78% of men) report
security concerns, such as handset
theft as a barrier.
Interestingly, issues around cost

are just as likely to be reported by
women and men from wealthier
households as poorer households.
The cost of mobile data is
considered particularly high
and was a key complaint in
focus groups:
The internet is costly: my

phone does not have a data
package but if I had one,
itll be more expensive.
Rural female user, Colombia
108
This is corroborated by focus

group participants, some of whom
have devised tactics such as using
hands-free devices to limit risks.
Others say they feel safer with
less expensive handsets:
I wouldnt spend so much on

a cell phone, its too dangerous
if you step out on the street
and use it, you have to hide
and you cant call.
TECHNICAL LITERACY
& CONFIDENCE
is a greater barrier for women
than men. More specifically, a key
concern is making a mistake on
their mobile and losing money.
This is cited as a barrier by 59%
of Colombian women and 46%
of men, and both low and highly
educated women are more likely
to cite this is an issue than men.
I dont know all the functions my

phone has. Technology goes by
really fast and they come up with
new things, so you are going to
have to ask someone to help.

Mobile stakeholders in Colombia should focus on reaching the remaining unconnected women, and bridging
the usage gap particularly for mobile internet and other more sophisticated services by addressing key
barriers such as cost, low perception of value compared with alternative internet/landline channels, and fears
related to security, harassment, and accidentally losing money.
Industry should take into account that entry-level, low-key, and durable handsets with internet access are
likely to appeal to women, enabling them to access mobile internet and more sophisticated services whilst
feeling less afraid to carry the handset around with them.
Other initiatives to overcome the cost barrier include handset credit models, lowering taxes on handsets
and services that have a tangible socio-economic benefit, and innovative data bundle packages.
Designers and providers of mobile services should focus on innovative safety-related apps and services
for women, and mobile operators should offer services that block/deter unwanted calls, SMS, and spam.
Colombian womens confidence and use of more sophisticated services could be improved through
strengthening agent networks, training modules available through mobile internet, or partnerships between
mobile operators and other organisations (e.g., NGOs, public institutions) to integrate mobile training into
existing programmes.
109
Mexico
Mexico has a large unconnected market and a relatively small gender

gap in mobile phone ownership. Opportunities exist to bridge the
remaining gender gap in rural areas and among other groups, reach
the countrys remaining unconnected women with mobile, and bridge
the usage gap between women and men for more sophisticated services
such as mobile internet.
64
60
64%
62%
6%
Total
population (m)
Unconnected
population
LOW
36%
38%
Unique subscriber
penetration: 37%
Growth: 3% CAGR3
3G penetration:
39% of connections
are 3G
Social norms
around mobile
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
69% Telcel
20% Movistar
8% Lusacell
Current ARPS2: $26

Growth: 1% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 80 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
80% for men,
45% for women

Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
WOMEN
6%
110
$7B
Bridging the
ownership gap
Bridging the
usage gap
$1B
$6B
(13%)
(87%)
74%
WOMEN
68%
84%
Contributed
77%
66%
19%
4%
WOMEN MEN
92% 90%
MEN
None
MALES
3G
While gender inequality exists in Mexico,

particularly around economic participation, women
tend to have relatively high levels of autonomy
in accessing mobile. However, the gender gap in
mobile ownership is greater among certain groups
(e.g. 26% in rural areas), and harassment via mobile
is a key issue for Mexican women compared to
other countries studied. Women also lag behind
men in more sophisticated usage.
28%
FEMALES
GDP/capita: $10,307
Growth: 3% CAGR3
Mexico has a relatively low unique subscriber

penetration of 37% and a small gender gap in
mobile phone ownership. The market is maturing
with 39% of connections 3G and 2% 4G. ARPS2
is very high at $26, and stable. Telcel dominates
the market with 69% market share, followed by
Movistar (20%) and three smaller operators.

Unique
subscriber
penetration1
Population: 122m
Rural: 21%
Made the decision
MEN
93%
Sending
an SMS
Women are less likely than men to select
their own handset and to pay for it. 71%
of women who purchased a handset
themselves said they used their own
money to pay for it, vs 93% of men.
In contrast, women and men have
similar levels of autonomy when it
comes to SIM purchase.
16% of women do not buy their own credit.

Reasons include not being in control of
finances, not knowing how to top up, and
agents that are too far away.
Post-paid is less common but used more
by men than women (12% of male SIM
owners vs 6% of women).
Using mobile
internet
Overall, women lag behind men in using

In urban areas, despite similar ownership
levels, fewer women than men have used
mobile internet.
In rural areas, there are fewer female than
male owners, but they are more likely to
have used mobile internet.
Mexico
Mobile market
111
Mexico
In my case, I put a lot of

money in my account
and suddenly when I
consulted the balance,
it was removed already.

69% 68%67% 68%
66% 65%
51%
36%
53%
54%
47%
41%
42%
37%
31% 30%
47%
46%
46% 47% 45%
41%
39%
39%
31%
34%
19%
Handset
cost
SIM
cost
Credit
cost
Battery
charging
cost
Value
Family
Security &
Operator
or agent
trust
Technical
literacy &
confidence
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
access
Agent
service
ID
23%
Urban female, Mexico
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
OPERATOR OR AGENT TRUST
Security and harassment concerns

are one of the greatest barriers
to mobile ownership and use in
Mexico for both men and women.
report security concerns (e.g.
handset theft) as a barrier, and
report harassment from strangers
on their mobile as a barrier.
Mistrust of operators or agents is

high in Mexico among both men
and women, especially in rural
areas: 64% of urban women and
80% of rural women report fears
of operators or agents cheating
them as a barrier to them owning
or using a mobile.
Women in focus groups were

concerned that owning a
mobile phone increases the
risk of being robbed. Others
said they were worried about
scams, such as being called by
strangers pretending to have
kidnapped loved ones in order
to extort money.
112
Some focus group participants felt

that credit was being stolen from
their account or that they were
charged for data they didnt use:
In my case, I put a lot of money

in my account and suddenly when
I consulted the balance, it was
removed already.
Urban female, Mexico
NETWORK QUALITY
& COVERAGE
is an issue for both men and
women in Mexico and across
rural and urban areas.
In urban areas, 47% of women
and 47% of men report it as a
barrier, whereas in rural areas
it is more of a concern among
women. 50% of rural women
report network quality and
coverage as a barrier compared
to 35% of men.
Women in a rural focus group
explained how poor coverage
can limit usage:
Theres no coverage, it is not

that we dont know how to use
it or we dont know it, no, it is
because there is no coverage.
- Rural female, Mexico

Mobile stakeholders in Mexico should focus on bridging the remaining gender gap in ownership, reaching
the countrys remaining unconnected women, and bridging the gender gap in usage of more sophisticated
services (e.g. mobile internet) by addressing key barriers such as cost, and fears related to security,
harassment, and being cheated.
Industry should take into account that entry-level, low-key, durable handsets with internet access are likely
to appeal to women, enabling them to access mobile internet whilst feeling less afraid to carry the handset
around with them.
Other initiatives to overcome the cost barrier include introducing handset credit models, lowering taxes on
handsets and services that have a tangible socio-economic benefit, and innovative data bundle packages to
appeal to those who are more price-sensitive.
Designers and providers of mobile services should ensure that the potential for fraudulent activity is
minimised, and reinforce customer trust particularly in rural areas through the agent network and other
sales channels (e.g., operators could train agents to provide a more trustworthy service and explain pricing
clearly, introduce stricter agent recruitment policies, and recruit female agents).
Mobile operators should offer services that block/deter unwanted calls and spam received over mobile.
Operators should also consider tracking and suppressing phone numbers used by aggressive sales
services or fraudsters.
113
Turkey
Turkeys mobile market has a unique subscriber penetration of 44% and a

small gender gap in mobile phone ownership. However, opportunities still
exist to reach the remaining unconnected women and bridge the usage
gap by addressing key barriers, such as cost concerns.
39
37
57%
56%
Total
population (m)
2%
Unconnected
population
Unique subscriber
penetration: 44%
Growth: 1% CAGR3
3G penetration:
65% of connections
are 3G
Social norms
around mobile
Market share of top

3 mobile operators:
48% Turkcell
30% Vodafone
23% Avea
Current ARPS2: $22

Growth: 1% CAGR3
Gender equality
ranking: 125 out
of 142 countries
Formal labour
participation:
71% for men,
29% for women
LOW
13%
13%
MALES
Obtain credit
Use

handset (%)

last four weeks (%)
Mobile owners who

report: (%)
None
114
$4B
Bridging the
ownership gap
$0.2B
(5%)
Bridging the
usage gap
$3.4B
(95%)
MEN
4%2%
89%
WOMEN
Contributed
72%
77%
63%
93%
74%
WOMEN MEN
91%
WOMEN
FEMALES
3G
Although the gender gap in mobile ownership

is small, social norms such as womens lower
economic participation and financial autonomy
can limit Turkish womens ability to select their
own handset, purchase credit, or use a mobile.
This tends to be more apparent among rural
or poorer households.
Unique
subscriber
penetration1
44%
GDP/capita: $10,971
Growth: 5% CAGR3
Turkeys predominantly urban population has

a unique subscriber penetration of 44% and a
small gender gap in mobile ownership (2%). The
market is mature, with 65% of connections 3G,
and a high ARPS2 at $22. The market is dominated
by the historical operator, Turkcell, followed by
Vodafone and Avea.

43%
Population: 75m
Rural: 28%
Made the decision
MEN
92%
Sending
an SMS
Women are less likely than men to select
their own handset and to pay for it. 45%
of women who purchased a handset
themselves said they used their own
money to pay for it, vs 75% of men.
37% of female SIM owners also said the
SIM was not registered in their own name
(vs 19% of men).
E-top up and post-paid are the most

common ways for women and men to
obtain credit.
Women are less likely to refill at an
agent on their own because they are
not the ones who pay for it. Other
reasons include agents being located
too far away or feeling unsafe/
uncomfortable going to the shop.
Using mobile
internet
Women lag behind men in use of more

sophisticated services. They are less likely
to have used mobile internet, and use
mobile internet and VAS less frequently.
Gender differences are more pronounced
among rural or poorer households: 43% of
rural women (vs 60% of men) have used
mobile internet.
Turkey
Mobile market
115
Turkey

62% 61%
45% 42%
44%
35% 35%
19%
Handset
cost
SIM
cost
Credit
cost
19%
16%
Battery
charging
cost
34%
Value
24%
16%
Family
Security &
Operator
or agent
trust
19%
Technical
literacy &
confidence
24%
19%
Network
quality &
coverage
25% 23%
Agent
access
31%
27%
18%18% 16%
Agent
service
ID
12%
I wish we could
afford the ones
with touch screens
but we cant.
Battery
charging
access
WOMEN MEN
Rural female user, Turkey
COST
AGENT OR OPERATOR TRUST
Cost is the greatest barrier

reported by Turkish women
and men. The cost of credit in
particular is a key issue compared
to other countries studied.
In Turkey, security and harassment

issues related to mobile are key
concerns, particularly for women.
57% of women (vs 41% of men)
report spam calls/SMS as a barrier,
40% (vs 35% of men) report
harassing calls from strangers as a
barrier, and 36% (vs 25% of men)
report security concerns, such as
handset theft as a barrier.
Almost half of both men and

women surveyed reported a
lack of trust of operators or
agents as a barrier.
Handset, credit, and SIM costs

are particular concerns for rural
women; more so than for men.
75% of rural women (vs 61% of
rural men), for instance, report
handset cost as a barrier.
In focus groups, rural women

mentioned that high handset
costs prevent them from
upgrading to smartphones or
internet-enabled phones:
116
I wish we could afford the ones

with touchscreens but we cant.
Rural female user, Turkey
Women in an urban focus group,

for instance, voiced fears of
having their mobile stolen and
someone being able to access
their photos/contacts, and
complained of harassment from
men via WhatsApp and prank
calls pretending they had won
the lottery.
Lack of trust is higher among

women from certain groups,
such as those who are from
wealthier households or rural
areas. 56% of rural women, for
instance, report lack of trust of
operators/agents as a barrier,
vs 41% of urban women.
Female focus groups
suggested that one reason
for lack of trust may be due
to customers misunderstanding
data pricing charges.

Mobile stakeholders in Turkey should focus on reaching the remaining unconnected women and bridging the
usage gap, particularly for mobile internet and other more sophisticated services. This will involve addressing
cost concerns, as well as other key barriers such as fears related to security, harassment and fraud, operator/
agent trust, and low perception of value.
Initiatives to overcome the cost barrier include partnerships between mobile operators and low-priced
handset manufacturers, microloans for handsets, tariff plans and data bundle packages to appeal to
womens usage patterns/routines, and on-demand or bite-sized data pricing. Turkey has a relatively high
level of mobile-related taxation,5 so policy-makers should lower taxes on handsets and services that have
a tangible socio-economic benefit.
Mobile operators should also ensure pricing is clear and transparent (particularly for data) and that
customers are sufficiently educated on it through the agent network and other channels (e.g., SMS reminders
of impending credit limits).
Designers and providers of mobile services should focus on relevant services and content that meet
the needs of women. An area of opportunity is likely to be services that help women to feel more secure
and less harassed, such as innovative safety-related apps/services, and services that block/deter unwanted
calls/SMS/spam.
To help address security and harassment concerns, mobile operators should also consider tracking and
suppressing phone numbers used by aggressive sales services or fraudsters.
5. Deloitte and GSMA. Digital Inclusion and Mobile Sector Taxation, 2015.
65% 64% 63%63%
117
China
36% 39% 38% 37% 22% 21% 38% 45% 44% 51% 30% 31% 63% 64% 63% 60% 69% 66% 56% 66% 56% 58%
Turkey
35% 35% 26% 26% 39% 39% 35% 36% 38% 37% 19% 16% 44% 34% 36% 25% 40% 35% 57% 41% 45% 42%
Kenya
12%
9% 20% 16% 13%
9%
5%
6%
9%
4%
8%
5%
27% 17% 36% 23% 22% 11% 24% 17%
21% 17%
Colombia 60% 58% 59% 53% 48% 49% 71% 70% 62% 58% 28% 16% 75% 70% 87% 78% 74% 65% 63% 67% 68% 70%

Table 1
SIM
cost
Handset
cost

IN THAT COUNTRY
Credit
cost
57% 51% 50% 39% 34% 28% 33% 35%
India
50% 45% 29% 25% 39% 36% 16% 17%
DRC
44% 35% 14% 12% 23% 23% 22% 28%
Mexico
66% 65% 36% 41% 51% 54% 31% 30%
Indonesia
40% 37% 19% 16% 32% 28% 14% 16%
China
50% 49% 32% 36% 53% 53% 24% 32%
Turkey
65% 64% 63% 63% 62% 61% 19% 16%
Kenya
50% 45% 31% 31% 45% 39% 31% 27%
Colombia
66% 71% 19% 19% 58% 61% 24% 17%
Egypt
80% 80% 38% 36% 47% 49% 34% 35%
Jordan
76% 42% 56% 21% 69% 63% 17%
5%
Already
have a
landline
Strangers
SPAM
Niger
5%
6%
7%
7%
8%
6%
2%
3%
2%
7%
11%
8%
India
15% 17% 20% 26% 18% 19% 10%
7%
11%
17% 16% 14% 34% 33% 37% 35% 33% 27% 32% 36% 21% 17%
DRC
8%
4%
6%
10% 15% 15% 18% 19% 15% 17% 19% 17% 21% 23% 20% 21%
Mexico
47% 53% 52% 56% 38% 42% 50% 54% 47% 58% 31% 37% 69% 68% 78% 79% 76% 67% 54% 58% 67% 68%
18% 18%
W
11%
11% 21% 21% 22% 22% 21% 21%
36% 39% 38% 37% 22% 21% 38% 45% 44% 51% 30% 31% 63% 64% 63% 60% 69% 66% 56% 66% 56% 58%
Turkey
35% 35% 26% 26% 39% 39% 35% 36% 38% 37% 19% 16% 44% 34% 36% 25% 40% 35% 57% 41% 45% 42%
Kenya
12%
6%
9%
4%
8%
5%
27% 17% 36% 23% 22% 11% 24% 17%
Egypt
47% 50% 48% 49% 39% 37% 53% 57% 49% 56% 40% 31% 53% 48% 49% 44% 55% 42% 54% 57% 33% 36%
Jordan
21% 12% 38% 31% 16%
11%
3% 19% 10% 21%
3%
57% 37% 53% 22% 58% 23% 59% 65% 40% 21%
118
User capability and design
Worried will
make a
mistake and
lose moeny
Network
quality &
coverage
Agent
service3
Uncomfortable
interacting
Unhelpful
Agent
access
Battery
charging
access
ID
Niger
30% 25% 33% 28% 43% 35% 14% 12%
39% 40% 17% 19% 12% 15% 22% 23% 23% 17% 29% 23% 32% 28%
India
35% 26% 34% 23% 32% 24% 38% 31%
45% 35% 17% 12% 22% 12%
DRC
21% 18% 20% 21% 27% 23% 17%
42% 39% 18% 17% 15% 14% 21% 20% 16% 17%
Mexico
42% 46% 35% 36% 33% 40% 57% 62% 47% 45% 41% 47% 35% 41% 47% 52% 39% 46% 39% 34% 19% 23%
11%
12%
11% 20% 18% 27% 28% 10% 12%

2
23% 26%
Indonesia 28% 21% 28% 21% 26% 20% 29% 21% 50% 47% 14% 17% 14% 17% 14% 17% 19% 17% 27% 28% 13% 14%
China
48% 46% 48% 41% 34% 31% 63% 66% 40% 43% 40% 44% 35% 43% 45% 45% 34% 33% 17% 20% 19% 26%
Turkey
24% 19% 24% 22% 22% 17% 25% 19%
Kenya
28% 22% 27% 24% 30% 21% 28% 20% 59% 60% 17% 12% 16%
24% 19% 31% 27% 29% 23% 33% 30% 25% 23% 18% 18% 16% 12%
11%
17% 12% 30% 24% 23% 22% 26% 23%
Colombia 43% 35% 37% 31% 32% 27% 59% 46% 42% 40% 39% 36% 37% 37% 41% 35% 41% 37% 31% 33% 17% 20%
Egypt
40% 40% 38% 41% 33% 35% 49% 44% 75% 74% 36% 37% 40% 42% 31% 31% 36% 35% 44% 26% 31% 37%
Jordan
34% 17% 29% 19% 30% 14% 42% 19%
65% 49% 36% 17% 39% 17% 33% 17% 31% 26% 8%
4%
17%
9%
3: Percentages for the following barriers have been calculated by taking a simple average from across sub-barriers: Value',
Security & harassment', Technical literacy & confidence and Agent service'.
Note: For each barrier in each country, N=648 to 881 for women and N=164 to 314 for men.
21% 17%
Colombia 60% 58% 59% 53% 48% 49% 71% 70% 62% 58% 28% 16% 75% 70% 87% 78% 74% 65% 63% 67% 68% 70%
4%
Trouble
reading
content /
language
7% 17% 23% 15% 12% 32% 30% 34% 28% 28% 27% 33% 36% 20% 25%
China
5%
Dont know
how to use
Technical
literacy & a mobile / the
3
confidence more complex
features
Agent service detail
2: ID barrier question was not asked in DRC because at the time of research, requirements for registration were unclear and,
in practice, ID is rarely required to buy a SIM. Therefore, ID was assumed to not be a barrier in DRC.
9%
Infrastructure
9% 20% 16% 13%
57% 37% 53% 22% 58% 23% 59% 65% 40% 21%
1: Shows % who agree or strongly agree with Q 55: Now we are going to talk about some possible reasons that might
be preventing you from using a mobile phone or using a mobile phone more often or for more varied usages than you
are today. Please tell me the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements? [Example] Handset
prices are expensive.
2%
3%
Operator /
agent trust
Indonesia 16% 17% 20% 20% 17% 16% 10%
Security
Already
concerns
Family
Security &
have internet uncomfortable
3
(e.g.,
handset
harassment
access
theft)
11% 14% 10%
3% 19% 10% 21%
Security and harassment detail
11%
11%
Technical literacy & confidence detail
9%
4%
Infrastructure
Dont need
to contact
people I
frequently
speak to
21% 12% 38% 31% 16%
Battery
charging
cost
Niger
Value detail
No relevant
services /
content
Jordan
User capability and design
Incentives to own and use
Value3
47% 50% 48% 49% 39% 37% 53% 57% 49% 56% 40% 31% 53% 48% 49% 44% 55% 42% 54% 57% 33% 36%
Income and affordability
Perception of barriers to owning and using

a mobile phone
IN THAT COUNTRY
Egypt
119

Table 2
Table 3a
Table 3b
Type of handset owned
Most common source of money for

respondents handset
Did you have to ask

permission to spend
money to buy your
handset?
Handset owners (%)
Handset owners who have paid a fee for their handset or received
it as part of their overall subscription fee
Handset owners who paid for their

handset with their own money or with
the general household budget (%)
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
Basic phone
Feature phone
Smartphone
N=
FEMALE
72%
27%
1%
345
MALE
58%
36%
5%
144
FEMALE
59%
40%
1%
468
MALE
47%
48%
5%
191
FEMALE
52%
42%
6%
348
MALE
48%
43%
8%
124
FEMALE
10%
64%
26%
549
MALE
6%
66%
28%
220
FEMALE
24%
55%
21%
661
MALE
19%
56%
25%
182
FEMALE
7%
54%
39%
807
MALE
4%
54%
42%
225
FEMALE
29%
58%
13%
795
MALE
28%
59%
12%
234
FEMALE
27%
60%
14%
714
MALE
29%
52%
19%
212
FEMALE
23%
70%
8%
680
MALE
19%
63%
17%
200
FEMALE
8%
63%
29%
770
MALE
6%
63%
31%
215
FEMALE
27%
12%
61%
651
MALE
25%
12%
63%
212
Based on: Q19 - Does your handset have the following? QWERTY/AZERTY keypad, Touchscreen; Ability to access the internet;
Ability to download an app
120
Basic phone: None of the above-mentioned features
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
The general
household
budget
My spouse
(husband
or wife)
Another
male
relative
Another
female
relative
Friends /
others
N=
FEMALE
75%
1%
14%
7%
1%
1%
86
MALE
99%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
76
FEMALE
23%
21%
48%
8%
0%
0%
349
MALE
72%
11%
1%
16%
0%
0%
174
FEMALE
55%
3%
23%
11%
4%
3%
219
MALE
88%
0%
0%
7%
2%
3%
99
FEMALE
71%
4%
13%
4%
7%
0%
398
MALE
93%
0%
0%
4%
2%
1%
172
FEMALE
67%
6%
22%
2%
2%
0%
481
MALE
95%
0%
1%
2%
2%
0%
151
FEMALE
90%
2%
2%
3%
2%
0%
672
MALE
92%
2%
0%
2%
2%
2%
199
FEMALE
45%
13%
24%
15%
3%
0%
568
MALE
75%
5%
0%
17%
1%
2%
182
FEMALE
81%
1%
10%
3%
3%
1%
485
MALE
99%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
178
FEMALE
88%
0%
6%
2%
2%
1%
373
MALE
94%
0%
2%
1%
3%
0%
147
FEMALE
42%
16%
18%
16%
7%
1%
579
MALE
79%
4%
1%
15%
2%
0%
185
FEMALE
43%
2%
44%
7%
3%
0%
276
MALE
95%
1%
0%
4%
1%
0%
180
Exact question was: Q24 Who paid for this handset?

Note: Due to rounding, percentages may not add up to 100%
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
Yes
No
N=
FEMALE
22%
78%
66
MALE
9%
91%
75
FEMALE
61%
39%
171
MALE
34%
66%
152
FEMALE
34%
66%
132
MALE
31%
69%
87
FEMALE
5%
95%
304
MALE
3%
97%
160
FEMALE
43%
57%
349
MALE
28%
72%
144
FEMALE
9%
91%
612
MALE
9%
91%
187
FEMALE
23%
77%
329
MALE
15%
85%
144
FEMALE
10%
90%
398
MALE
7%
93%
174
FEMALE
2%
98%
329
MALE
5%
95%
138
FEMALE
49%
51%
335
MALE
25%
75%
151
FEMALE
27%
73%
118
MALE
6%
94%
171
Exact question was: Q25 - Did

you have to ask permission to
spend this money?
Note: Due to rounding, percentages
may not add upto 100%
Feature phone: At least one of the above-mentioned features

Smartphone: All features
Handset definitions:
Niger
My own
money
121

Table 3c
Table 3d
Table 4
Most common source of money for refilling credit

balance/paying monthly bill
Did you have to ask permission to spend

money to refill your credit?
Respondents who need help to ...
SIM owners (%)
SIM owners who paid for their credit with their own money
or with the general household budget (%)
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
122
The
general
household
budget
My
spouse
(husband
or wife)
Another
male
relative
Another
female
relative
Friends/
others
N=
FEMALE
56%
6%
27%
8%
2%
1%
330
MALE
93%
1%
1%
2%
1%
1%
147
FEMALE
14%
23%
50%
11%
2%
0%
472
MALE
77%
7%
1%
15%
0%
0%
193
FEMALE
55%
10%
17%
8%
6%
4%
383
MALE
85%
2%
1%
8%
4%
1%
133
FEMALE
59%
10%
16%
6%
7%
2%
547
MALE
90%
2%
0%
4%
1%
2%
212
FEMALE
69%
14%
14%
1%
2%
0%
668
MALE
93%
2%
1%
2%
2%
1%
183
FEMALE
82%
5%
2%
6%
5%
0%
806
MALE
88%
4%
0%
4%
4%
0%
225
FEMALE
42%
16%
27%
14%
2%
0%
795
MALE
78%
6%
0%
16%
0%
0%
234
FEMALE
79%
7%
7%
2%
4%
1%
739
MALE
96%
2%
0%
2%
1%
0%
215
FEMALE
79%
2%
9%
4%
4%
2%
675
MALE
92%
1%
1%
3%
2%
3%
197
FEMALE
38%
18%
18%
16%
9%
1%
775
MALE
74%
5%
0%
16%
4%
0%
218
FEMALE
19%
11%
49%
15%
6%
0%
652
MALE
89%
1%
0%
8%
2%
0%
213
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
Yes,
always
Yes, most
of the
time
Sometimes
No
N=
FEMALE
5%
3%
7%
86%
199
MALE
1%
0%
2%
97%
131
FEMALE
13%
5%
24%
59%
166
MALE
14%
1%
7%
78%
160
FEMALE
6%
7%
5%
82%
232
MALE
8%
3%
7%
82%
106
FEMALE
1%
5%
2%
92%
396
MALE
3%
0%
2%
94%
193
FEMALE
6%
0%
10%
83%
540
MALE
6%
1%
6%
88%
176
FEMALE
3%
1%
1%
95%
704
MALE
2%
1%
3%
93%
209
FEMALE
4%
4%
24%
68%
459
MALE
3%
3%
13%
81%
196
FEMALE
1%
1%
3%
95%
609
MALE
0%
0%
0%
100%
207
FEMALE
2%
0%
1%
97%
520
MALE
0%
0%
0%
99%
170
FEMALE
12%
16%
24%
47%
421
MALE
10%
4%
16%
70%
166
FEMALE
15%
11%
3%
71%
198
MALE
0%
1%
5%
94%
193
Exact question was: Q44 - Where does the money to refill your credit or
pay your monthly bill usually come from?
Exact question was: Q25 - Did you have to ask

permission to spend this money?
Note: Due to rounding, percentages may not add

up to 100%
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
Make a call
N=
Send SMS
N=
Use the internet on a

mobile phone
N=
FEMALE
7%
329
56%
296
81%
250
MALE
2%
147
42%
134
61%
110
FEMALE
5%
472
50%
455
76%
380
MALE
2%
193
29%
190
61%
170
FEMALE
7%
383
27%
373
75%
299
MALE
3%
133
19%
130
58%
116
FEMALE
1%
547
4%
542
20%
521
MALE
0%
212
9%
211
20%
207
FEMALE
0%
667
2%
656
40%
497
MALE
0%
183
0%
182
25%
147
FEMALE
12%
807
24%
792
37%
779
MALE
11%
225
17%
225
30%
219
FEMALE
1%
794
7%
762
20%
657
MALE
0%
234
5%
229
17%
212
FEMALE
2%
739
10%
737
49%
703
MALE
1%
215
9%
215
37%
213
FEMALE
1%
675
12%
665
27%
646
MALE
5%
197
17%
194
25%
188
FEMALE
0%
774
5%
768
29%
679
MALE
0%
219
1%
218
25%
197
FEMALE
1%
652
12%
633
29%
582
MALE
0%
213
12%
213
22%
206
Exact question was: Q58 - Do you know how to do the following operations without any help?
Niger
My own
money
Handset owners (%)
123

Table 6
Table 5
Opinions on partners checking each other's mobile phone
Who first taught you how to use your handset?
All respondents (%)
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
I worked it out
for myself
My spouse
(husband or
wife)
Another male
relative
Another female
relative
A male friend
(including
neighbours)
A female friend
(including
neighbours)
The agent/
shopkeeper
Others
N=
FEMALE
44%
28%
19%
5%
2%
2%
0%
1%
345
MALE
66%
2%
15%
1%
14%
0%
1%
1%
144
FEMALE
33%
39%
25%
1%
0%
2%
0%
0%
468
MALE
74%
2%
11%
0%
11%
1%
0%
1%
191
FEMALE
61%
14%
11%
4%
4%
1%
4%
1%
348
MALE
65%
0%
14%
2%
10%
1%
7%
1%
124
FEMALE
68%
3%
13%
12%
1%
0%
2%
1%
549
MALE
81%
2%
7%
6%
1%
0%
2%
1%
219
FEMALE
53%
22%
9%
10%
1%
4%
1%
0%
661
MALE
74%
4%
8%
6%
7%
0%
1%
0%
182
FEMALE
56%
6%
13%
9%
0%
1%
13%
1%
807
MALE
71%
2%
6%
4%
2%
0%
13%
1%
225
FEMALE
73%
14%
6%
5%
0%
1%
2%
0%
795
MALE
90%
0%
5%
1%
2%
0%
1%
0%
234
FEMALE
69%
10%
9%
5%
2%
2%
3%
1%
714
MALE
81%
2%
5%
2%
6%
0%
3%
1%
212
FEMALE
61%
6%
11%
15%
1%
2%
5%
0%
680
MALE
73%
1%
9%
8%
4%
1%
5%
1%
200
FEMALE
56%
16%
15%
10%
1%
2%
0%
0%
770
MALE
76%
2%
12%
3%
5%
0%
1%
0%
214
FEMALE
77%
6%
8%
8%
0%
0%
0%
0%
651
MALE
92%
1%
5%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
212
Exact question was: Q30 - Who first taught you to use this handset?
124
Niger
India
DRC
Mexico
Indonesia
China
Turkey
Kenya
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
It is acceptable for a husband to check the

numbers on his wifes mobile phone
It is acceptable for a wife to check the

numbers on her husbands mobile phone
Strongly
agree
Agree
TOTAL
agree
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
N=
Strongly
agree
Agree
TOTAL
agree
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
N=
FEMALE
49%
36%
86%
6%
8%
742
32%
26%
58%
18%
24%
703
MALE
48%
31%
79%
9%
12%
195
22%
23%
45%
24%
30%
188
FEMALE
17%
32%
48%
21%
30%
805
15%
29%
44%
24%
32%
794
MALE
19%
27%
46%
21%
32%
204
19%
27%
46%
28%
27%
200
FEMALE
39%
38%
76%
14%
10%
789
31%
39%
70%
17%
12%
790
MALE
35%
39%
75%
14%
11%
197
21%
30%
51%
26%
23%
196
FEMALE
7%
21%
28%
46%
26%
706
13%
23%
36%
44%
20%
710
MALE
9%
25%
34%
42%
23%
284
7%
23%
30%
43%
27%
286
FEMALE
15%
72%
86%
12%
1%
807
13%
75%
88%
10%
2%
809
MALE
14%
68%
82%
16%
2%
204
13%
67%
80%
17%
3%
204
FEMALE
1%
24%
25%
54%
21%
813
2%
29%
31%
50%
19%
815
MALE
1%
32%
33%
45%
22%
222
0%
30%
30%
47%
23%
223
FEMALE
12%
23%
35%
40%
25%
770
13%
22%
35%
38%
27%
771
MALE
14%
16%
30%
44%
27%
226
11%
15%
26%
44%
30%
225
FEMALE
12%
28%
41%
28%
31%
854
15%
27%
41%
28%
31%
854
MALE
9%
32%
41%
31%
28%
232
8%
30%
37%
32%
31%
232
FEMALE
4%
15%
19%
57%
24%
772
7%
22%
29%
52%
19%
786
MALE
9%
21%
30%
50%
20%
226
7%
17%
24%
51%
25%
227
FEMALE
21%
49%
71%
21%
9%
837
30%
40%
70%
20%
9%
838
MALE
30%
40%
70%
18%
12%
227
34%
27%
61%
25%
14%
226
FEMALE
10%
28%
37%
15%
48%
824
13%
30%
42%
15%
43%
824
MALE
19%
15%
34%
12%
54%
213
15%
11%
25%
15%
60%
212
Exact question was: Q54 - I would like to ask your opinion of men and women using mobile phones in your community. Please tell
me the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements: It is acceptable for a husband to check the numbers
on his wifes mobile phone.; It is acceptable for a wife to check the numbers on her husbands mobile phone.
Handset owners (%)
125
Appendix 3: Bibliography
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Broadband Commission. The State of Broadband
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Broadband Commission Working Group on
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Buskens, Ineke and Anne Webb. African Women
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Chamberlain, Sara. Pilot-itis: Whats the Cure?
BBC Media Action, June 20, 2012.
Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. Women
Entrepreneurs in Mobile Retail Channels:
Empowering Women, Driving Growth, 2011.
Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, ExxonMobil

Foundation and Nokia. Evaluating Business
Women: A Mobile Value Added Service for
Women Entrepreneurs, 2014.
Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, ExxonMobil,
Booz&Co. Mobile Value Added Services:
A Business Growth Opportunity for Women
Entrepreneurs, 2013.
Deloitte, GSMA and CISCO. What is the Impact of
Mobile Telephony on Economic Growth?, 2012.
The Economist Economist Intelligence Unit.
Womens Economic Opportunity 2012
A Global Index and Ranking from the
Economist Intelligence Unit, 2012.
GSMA Intelligence. Smartphones in Emerging

Markets: The Times are A-Changin, 2014.
GSMA Connected Women. Mutual Value, Mutual Gain:

Best Practices from Successful Partnerships with
Mobile Network Operators, 2014.
GSMA Mobile Money for the Unbanked and

Connected Women. Reaching Half of the
Market: Women and Mobile Money, 2014.
GSMA Connected Women. Striving and Surviving

in Papua New Guinea, 2014.
Gurumurthy, Anita, C. Nandini and Emma Saloranta.

Through the Information Society Prism: Scoping
Gender Equality for the post-2015 Agenda, 2012.
GSMA Connected Women. Marketing

Handbook, 2013.
GSMA Connected Women. Unlocking the
Potential: Women and Mobile Financial Services
in Emerging Markets, 2013.
Ericsson. Ericsson Mobility Report: Sub-Saharan

Africa, June 2014.
GSMA Connected Women. Women and Mobile:

A Global Opportunity, 2010.
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The Need for a Revised ARPU Metric, 2014.
Hafkin, Naomi and Sophia Huyer. Women

and Gender in ICT Statistics and Indicators
for Development. ITID Journal, 4 (2), Winter
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Technologically Empowered Women in
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Damned Lies, and Statistics, 2011.
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126
GSMA and Deloitte. Mobile Telephony and Taxation in

Kenya, 2011.
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the Next Wave of Growth, 2014.
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a New Generation of Women, 2012.
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Penetration, 2014.
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Development, 2010.
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Transforming Womens Livelihoods Through
Mobile Broadband: A Study on the Value of
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Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity, 2014.
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Mobile-assisted Language Learning on Women
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128

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C o n n e c t e d Wo m e n I 2 0 1 5

Bridging the gender gap:

GSMA Connected Women works with partners to

The GSMA Connected Women Global Development

Altai Consulting provides strategy consulting &

Methodology, definitions, and limitations

Mobile phone access and usage

Womens phone ownership in low- and middle-income countries

Bridging the mobile phone ownership gender gap

The new gender gap: Mobile phone usage

Revenue opportunity of closing the gender gap

Borrowers and non-users

Barriers to mobile ownership and usage

Barriers from the customer perspective

Appendix 1: Country profiles

Appendix 2: Data tables

I would like to thank all the partners who have worked

CONNECTED WOMEN I 2015

Mobile technology is a powerful tool. It transcends

They offer a cost-effective channel for delivering

This report was authored by Shireen Santosham and

Angela Baker and Erin Gavin Qualcomm

Dr Dorothea Kleine and Dr David Souter for

Carlos Hirsch Iusacell

Other individuals from the GSMA Connected

Cesar Augusto Pinzon Medina, Ilsa Carlota

Other individuals at GSMA who have been

Carol Kakooza and Ashok Sharma

Chandni Ohri Grameen Foundation India

This research and report would also not have been

Dan Radcliffe Gates Foundation

Fredy Gamez Inalambria

Nies Purwati Qualcomm Indonesia

Gabriel MBuyi Vodacom DR Congo

Nour Khrais Maysalward

Gabriela Lpez Villeda Nextel

Olufunmilayo Biola Ofulue

Gayatri Murthy Intermedia

Omar Moeen Malik, Malik Faisal Qayyum,

Gaye Aladag and Zeynep Emre Manco AVEA

Pat Wu and Ran Makavy Facebook

Henriette Kolb IFC

Priya Jaisinghani, Christopher Burns

Ibba Rasul-Bernardo and Cris del Rosario

Randa Awwad The Market Research

Ibrahim Niandou CARE Niger

Rassidatou Gakoye Tomo Sahelcom (Sonitel)

Isabel Cristina Jacomilla Sierra

Renee Wittemyer Intel

Isabelle Herbert-Collet and

Rushika Shekhar Dimagi

Roxana Barrantes DIRSI

Jenny C. Aker Tufts University

Samia Melhem World Bank

Jessie Landerman Harvard Kennedy School

Sanda Ojiambo Safaricom

Jing Jun Comprehensive AIDS Research

Sarah Chamberlain BBC Media Action

Joan Kaufman, Cindy Qiao, and Eyra Xiong

Sarah Bellemare OXFAM

John Xu Global Panorama

Sevi Simavi Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Jonathan Donner Caribou Digital

Shereen Allam Awtad (Associate for Womens